GetAmped2 - Lunar Antics
by LaurieMoon
Summary: Set in Cyberstep's Online Fighting game "GetAmped2" and based in the floating city of Wingdom "Lunar Antics" follows the adventures of one guild 'Lunar' and their day to day lives. Taking on Missions in co-operation with the Megaforce, battling for fun or just hanging out with friends; Lunar Antics takes a very different tone in self-contained chapters or short story-arcs!
1. Guild Grocery Shopping

Lunar Antics Chapter 1  
By LaurieMoon

'Shit' thought Jordan aloud. 'What the hell was I supposed to be doing..?' It was a rainy morning outside and Jordan had drawn the short straw and been delegated shopping duty – with the Prime Market as Wingdom's only story where else could he go. Jordan stared blankly at the aisle, unable to remember a single thing of what the Guildies wanted. Then it all came flooding back with resonating shouts he had heard earlier on  
'Chicken nuggies!' cried Kazeru,  
'Apples, APPLES.' screamed Laurie while throttling Jordan by the shoulders.  
'I will require another box of your finest cereal Sir Jordan, post-haste.' enquired Renshin trying to keep a genteel image despite cereal crumbs across his chest and some minor milk spillage leaking down to his crotch.

Jordan began regretting coming into the market without a basket as he needed a fair amount, not to mention the rest of the guild's supplies. Suddenly one dangled down right in front of him held up by none other than the much taller, older and wiser Shot. Best Friend Shot had come to save the day!  
'Don't go thinking I'm your best friend or anything for coming to help you out' said Shot smugly. Jordan thanked Regular Friend Shot and took the basket from him  
'What else to we need? It's all a blur to me as far as I can remember' said Jordan.  
'I remember something Original said about mass-gain suppliments so he could gain more muscle' said Shot 'but knowing him that will backfire…and Keshir-I mean, KENshiro wanted Speckled Glowfire Cakes..?'  
'Speckled CRYSTALfire Cakes' corrected Kenshiro who had just swooped in with his massive wings.  
'What is that anyway? Asked Jordan 'I don't think they stock it here…'  
'It is a Dragonkind Delicacy' stated Kenshiro 'You don't need to know what it is or concern yourself with it.'  
'Well you're the one who wanted it…' mutted Shot  
'I came here to tell you not to get it, although it looks like you both haven't started getting anything.'  
'It's not our fault everyone shouted what they wanted at once!' interjected Jordan.  
'But it is your fault you didn't make a shopping list.' Replied Kenshiro pulling out a piece of paper.  
'Ooo! Gimmie!' cried Jordan  
'You guys call yourselves Luminaries?' asked Kenshiro  
'Oh yeah, well what about you Ken, not helping fellow guildies out, huh?!' said Shot snatching the shopping list from Kenshiro.  
'I am…' said Kenshiro 'but we're not the only ones doing the grovery shopping.' Shot and Jordan's eyes widened upon hearing this. 'Laurie sent out another group of three to do the shopping and me and Shot were send to help you.  
'Uuh..Oh yeah.' Said Shot in realisation 'It was Laurie who sent me here.' Kenshiro facepalmed and continued on through his hand  
'The last group to bring food supplies back will lose their favourite food from the selection for the next month.'  
'Not my biscuits!' shouted Jordan  
'My pizza slices too!?' chimed in Shot  
'and no Speckled Crystalfire Cakes for me, however, that is no longer part of the list as you can't get it here.'  
'Wait!' cried Jordan 'Does the other group know that those have been removed?'  
'Nooo…' replied Kenshiro  
'We should hurry and get the last item then!' cried Shot inspecting the list  
'Yes, I took the courtesy of gathering most of what we need before I got here.' said Kenshiro to the puzzled-looking Jordan. Jordan peered behind Kenshiro's wings and noticed an almost full basket of groceries.  
'Oh wow, good job Ken.' Said Jordan bitterly as he cast aside his empty basket.  
'The last thing on the list is…Oh Kenshiro! You like to eat this as well don't you?!'  
'No Shot.. I don't eat that.' Said Kenshiro.  
'Well! Not all the time, but you're a wolf so-'  
'-No I'm a dragon, Shot.' Jordan glanced over at the shopping list and could see the only text not crossed out reading "dog food"  
'That's probably for SpotPup' said Jordan between laughter.  
'Then this isn't good; Spotpup is on the other team' said Kenshiro 'So he knows exactly where it is and must already have it – their team is three and I was gathering all of these alone until now; Speckled Crystalfire cakes is the last thing on the list and once they know that they don't actually need it anymore they'll be ready to finish and…' Kenshiro spun around suddenly coming eye-to-eye with Skepy standing with one leg raised, mid-walk to the end of the aisle. Immobilized the three watch Skepy process what had just been said.  
'I'm telling.' Whispered Skepy before sprinting out of view  
'He's on the other team! Don't let him report to the others!' screamed Shot. 'Jordan! Go and get the dog food, we'll handle Skepy!'  
'Aw, but I wanna 1v1 Skepy.' Groaned Jordan  
'There's no time Jordan! Listen to Shot!' shouted Kenshiro. Jordan ambled off dragging his feet along the floor while Shot and Kenshiro hurried off to gain chase.

With a swift nod Jordan took the basket and ran off in the other direction while Kenshiro and Shot gave pursuit to Skepy. Passing through the toiletries aisle Kenshiro exploded with a puff of black smoke and was suddenly armed with the Yatagarasu Crow attire 'I'll fly on ahead and grapple him, then you can take him down!' With Shot keeping up with Skepy and Kenshiro now accelerating beyond both of them Skepy looked behind him the moment Kenshiro soared down and tackled him in place. 'Okay Shot, now!' Shot skidded to a halt and busting out his Combat Operations Radiotransmitter cried 'Gillman! Now!' Out of nowhere Gillman buzzed over in a gigantic helicopter with a content expression on his face and without warning or any sense of direction began firing endlessly. Bullets rained down on Kenshiro and Skepy who flailed backward in a fiery inferno and lay unconscious.  
'Uuuh, oops.' Said Shot aware of his mistake. Meanwhile Gillman flew off waving and showing his teeth in a poor attempt at a smile to Shot, believing he had succeeded in doing what he was supposed to do.

Several aisles smashed along, finally knocking Shot over hard on to the floor. Jordan who had found Spot eating endless quantities of dog food had begun fighting when Spot refused to share any to be brought back to the guild room for eating later.  
'The food is for YOU anyway!' pleaded Jordan emerging from the piles of torn toilet paper.  
'That's not the point! I'm hungry nowwwwwww' moaning Spot  
'HOW DARE YOU!' with an almighty chop to the neck Spot fell and was unconscious; Moko stood behind him as he fell to the floor 'Kathy will be furious to see what you've done to her precious Prime Market!' Moko turned around and noticed Jordan in shock 'He was my teammate, but this makes it better now don't you think? A 1v1 Finale?'  
'I actually wanted to 1v1 with Skepy though…' replied Jordan sadly.  
'WELL TOO BAD! Let's go!'  
'STOOOOOOPPPPP.' Moko and Jordan turned around whilst an apple crunch could be heard along with a spoon hitting china and crispy mouthfuls of golden batter. LaurieMoon, Renshin and Kazeru stood at one of the checkouts at the very end of the story, Kazeru and Renshin with full baskets in hand.  
'Wait! My basket!' Cried Moko. Sure enough he and Jordan hadn't realised their own food baskets had been taken from under their noses.  
'The reason I had you guys compete was so I could get the guild food quicker – and also so we could have double quantities for everyone!' grinned Laurie as if proclaiming an announcement to a loving audience – however only Moko and Jordan watched while Spot and Shot lay unconscious amidst the toilet paper and Kenshiro and Skepy burnt to a crisp.  
'That's a horrible thing to do!' yelled Jordan 'You made us fight each other, Kenshiro said you wouldn't give any food to the losing team for the next month!'  
'Hahaha, of course I said that, I wanted you to work harder!' chortled Laurie 'Speaking of Kenshiro, I actually have some special order of Speckled Crystalfire cakes to give to him? Where is he?'  
'More on topic…' said Moko 'You can't pit us together and get away with it.'  
'Unless I get to 1v1 Skepy.' said Jordan 'If I get to fight him I'll be okay with this whole-'  
'Jordan! Just, shoosh…Laurie, you won't get away with this.'  
'What's the problem,' replied Laurie 'we all have out food, no one will miss out for a month, in fact we have double food now I might add.'  
'This isn't about US or OUR food. Our actions orchestrated by you have destroyed Kathy's Prime Market and she's going to be quite upset.' Renshin and Kazeru looked at one another and shivered.  
'Is Kathy really that scary?' said Jordan noticing the two.  
'Yes shit is' said Moko  
'No, she isn't…' butted in Laurie 'Kathy will shout at you, sure. But that's nothing compared to…'  
'Everyone knows who Laurie fears most.' Said Kazeru 'Kathy can be quite scary when she's mad but she has nothing on the one who is obsessed with the Prime Market most of all.' Suddenly the ground beneath the group's feet tremored and as gravity had divided into itself the group's legs buckled and seized up.  
'Oh god, he's seen what we've done!' squealed Laurie. The massive uncharacterised eyes leered on all of them 'Prudent Customer is upon us!' The Prime Market's most invested customer and loyal enthusiast had seen the destruction of the Prime Market made by Lunar's members.  
'We've gotta go guys, WE'VE GOTTA GO.' Screamed Renshin. Jordan fell to his knees under the pressure of the customer's gaze as he advanced slowly upon them, fuming with rage, teeth clenched and foaming around the mouth. While everyone fell closer and closer to the ground Jordan quickly glimpsed at hope – Shot's Combat Operation Radio transmitter. Stretched his arm out as forcefully he could against the gravity shift Jordan gripped down tightly on to the communicating button and without pulling the device closer to his head screamed;  
'HELP US GILLMAN.' Completely unaffected by the gravity influx Gillman plunged down from the Helicopter and threw down several ropes connected to the ship. Managing to shuffle aside slightly, Jordan, Moko, Laurie, Renshin and Kazeru quickly held on to the hands of those who were unconscious and reclaimed the baskets of food then grabbed hold of the ropes from the Helicopter. As the helicopter began to ascend the effects of the customer's gravity reduction began to wear off and the group started to feel like they were literally flying through the air. Laurie looked down and blew a raspberry at the Prudent Customer but quickly didn't look so tough when he was squeeling at having toilet paper thrown up towards him by the continually raging customer.  
'Woohooooooo! We escaped from that customer!' cheered Kazeru who dangled around dangerously from underneath the Helicopter  
'Hurry up and climb inside Kazeru, it's not safe!' called Laurie who along with everyone else was now inside. 'If it wasn't for Jordan calling from Shot's radio transmitter we'd still be down there getting the shit kicked out of us. I can't imagine what that would feel like under that gravity pressure.'  
'But ultimately if it wasn't for Gillman being on support we wouldn't have gotten out' smiled Renshin.  
'Woo! Lunar is on top!' said Laurie celebrating 'Time to head back to the guild room, get these guy's treated and restock our fridges and cupboards! Take us back Gillman!' Gillman from the cockpit fully engaged with steered the helicopter turned only his head a perfect 150 degrees  
'Which guild are you guys from, again?' Everyone else in the helicopter turned to look at each other confused. 'I serve all guilds.' Continued Gillman.  
'Umm..Yeah, we're Lunar.' Said Laurie.  
'Oh right, cool…Where is your guild room.' Laurie had absolutely no idea and simply sighed  
'Lunar is not on top…'


	2. Bad Hair Day

Lunar Antics – Chapter 2

Kironaka gazed blackly into her small mirror. She was perfectly dull today, she looked it and she felt it. Some mornings you just wake up feeling bad, take a look in the mirror and realise why: A bad hair day. There wasn't a large contingent of people in the guild who had experience in hair-care, but Kironaka decided to ask for some advice on what to do to fix her dilemma. Dazed had very bright colourful hair, no one could pinpoint what her natural hair colour was or her definitive image – If Dazed's hair could be summed up in one word it would be "anime" or possible "kawaii" but perhaps a bit of a stretch.

Wearing her Bunny Renegades hoodie tightly, hiding her hair, Kironaka pulled Dazed aside from Laurie, who was lecturing her why takoyaki was the best type of dumpling, and asked her what to do about her hair problem. They stood in a secluded corner of the guild room with no one nearby except for a dozing Kazeru who was far off in dreamland.  
"Well I put all sorts of products in to maintain my hair," said Dazed "But I try not to talk too much about it – you need to be artificially natural, you understand?" Kiro did not understand  
"What are you guys talking about?!" Laurie had popped up out of the blue.  
"Kiro has a hair problem." Said Dazed  
"PAH," spat Laurie, dumpling crumbs going everywhere and landing just as Kazeru's feet "Let's see then." Dazed who had also not seen yet peered slowly back at Kironaka who shrugged. As her hair surfaced out from the hoodie Dazed gasped and Laurie choked slightly, keeling backwards and thumping his chest. Kiro's hair could only be described as curly, swirly and simultaneously spiky. If a child were to scribble endlessly on a sheet of paper the final result would look at lot like Kiro's current hairstyle  
"Yikes, I don't know what to suggest Kiro, as my hair is always natural straight somehow." Said Laurie as he scratched the side of his head where hair clearly poked out more prominently.  
"Don't you normally wear a hairband?" asked Shot approaching the group from the central tree in the guild room "I mean, that's what I do otherwise my dreads might look stupid.  
"Just leave it!" shouted Renshin joining in also and causing the sleeping Kazeru to stir in the process "That's what I do, and look! No problems!" he proceeded to stroke his hair, which looked progressively greasier than usual.  
"You don't know the half of hair problems!" squeaked Spotpup who had dashed over whilst overhearing the topic "Try having it covering your entire body!"  
"You're a dog, that's not relevant." Said Kenshiro from a distance.  
"What about you, Kenshiro?" asked Aquila from an even further distance "How do you treat your fur, or are they scales, I don't understand; you have hair atop your head too, but is that made of different materials of is it quite similar?" Kenshiro made no expression and simply stared on, blank.

No further questions were asked and focus quickly returned to Kironaka's dilemma, it wasn't long before everyone who had gathered was doing their part to try and fix Kiro's hair. Dazed pouring a bottle of unknown foam, Laurie scratching one side of her head rapidly and Shot focusing on applying a hairband, with a bleary-eyed Kazeru who had woken up lurking over his shoulder, watching silently. All the while Renshin shouted "JUST LEAVE IT!" over and over whilst pointing right into the reconstruction. Headbands lay at Kiro's feet, her hair completely hidden in foam, everyone watched wide-eyed and silent, awaiting the result.  
"I can't wait any longer!" cried Laurie pouring a full bucket of water over Kiro's head. To their amazement Kiro's hair was revealed as completely dry and just as it always had been, neatly pulled back and kept tidy with a single black hairband causing a large ponytail up above her head. Who would've thought messing up hair that was already messy would fix it.  
"Now that's teamwork." Said Dazed, capping her hair foam bottle and eying up the group's handiwork.  
"Let's not forget who single-handedly made Kiro's ponytail!" grinned Shot with swelling pride.  
"Did you say Ponytail?" mumbled the sleepy Kazeru who had been watching since waking up. "I'm the ponytail master, no one can tie one up better than me. I can make one from any style even if it's messy." Pulling out a headband on to his own set of bedhead he gripped a handful of hair, put the headband around it and then as if by magic it all became smooth and silky. The group smiled lazily and mumbled their compliments, turning away, then out of nowhere a sudden torrent of abuse  
"WHERE WERE YOU KAZ!" shouted Laurie "we were all offering advice and doin' a group effort thing when really all we needed was you!"  
"I'm happy that I helped out, but Kaz, you really wasted a lot of people's time." Said Renshin through tears  
"What did I do?!" replied Kazeru woefully "I was just napping then I heard something and woke up, now this!" Kazeru jogged around the guildroom whilst being pelted with hair products, clumps of Kiro's hair and soggy dumplings. Kiro looked on at the gaggle of guildies chasing Kazeru around and segmenting off to chase each other and run around. Kiro couldn't help but realise there was no hostility, just joking around and having good old fashioned fun.  
"Thank you everyone" smiled Kiro as she lay back to relax whilst watching everybody having fun with each other's company.


	3. Beasting

It was a day like any other in the Lunar guildroom, except Laurie was very, very bored.  
'Come and play GAT!' cried Spot.  
'Nope.' Droned Laurie.  
'Let's explore Bafabon's dungeon!' cried Funneh  
'Nope.' Droned Laurie.  
'I got the honey bee accessory' said Renshin with eyebrows raised 'wanna see me try it out?'  
'Mmm, yeah okay.' As a party; Laurie, Spot, Funneh and Renshin set off to Master Saga's Dojo to test out the accessory – but for some reason they were kicked out to the Downtown streets to train instead, which made no sense. Renshin was trying out all the different attacks on Spot until there was an outcry of pain  
'OWWOWOWOWW!' howled Spot in common dog-fashion 'I got stung badly!' Laurie who had lazily not been paying much attention looked over  
'Huh, what happened?' Renshin who was too shocked at what he had done and Spot who was in pain didn't reply, instead they quickly aid their goodbyes to Laurie and Funneh and left to get treatment.

Laurie was extremely confused  
'What did they do?'  
"Spot got a bee sting.' said Funneh  
'A beasting?'  
'Yeah.'  
'I thought Spot would be the one dealing out beastings.'  
'Huh? Why?'  
"Cause he's a beast?'  
'What?!'  
'A dog is a beast, right?'  
'I guess..? But Renshin was the one with the Honey Bee accessory!'  
'So?'  
'Sooo, that's the only way to deal bee stings!'  
'He couldn't give him a beasting with that, it's not that powerful of an acc really..'  
'Wwwwwwhat?!'  
'If he wanted to give him a beasting it'd be with a very vicious, powerful accessory, not the Honey Bee.  
'Well yeah! But BEES STING.  
'Huh?'  
'BEES STING. WITH STINGERS. Bees do all the stinging!'  
'A beasting would kill you…'  
'What?!'  
'But a bee sting can get treatment…  
'Yeah?!'  
'Like an ice pack of or something…'  
'Yes Laurie! That's why they both left!  
'This misunderstanding has been more trouble that it's been worth.'  
'It has, hasn't it?!'  
'A poor premise for a chapter.'  
'Yup!'

Then Manteppp descended from the heaven's and smite both of them.  
The end.


	4. Different Tournament

LUNAR.  
Renown for it's activities and Guild Tournaments such as the Heaven Driller Battle, The Turkey Day Fights and the most popular Gemini Tournament which is commonly said to be the one that kickstarted more widespread documentations of guild events.

Today however the usual guild activities were in progress; A group of eight having some friendly spars in the GAT Stadiums, a smaller group half the size taking on a dungeon exploration instructed by the ever-hairy Bafabon, and of course several stragglers chilling in the guildroom chatting the time away. Among them was Funneh, Skepy and Renshin – coincidentally all winners of previous Guild Tournaments hosted by Kironaka.  
'Well, well, if it it's the winner's brigade' came a voice a few paces away.  
'Eh, who's that?' asked Funneh who had been resting his eyes and squinting under the sunlight. Amatseru had approached the three who were lunging about and leered down at them with his red eyes.  
'You fishin' for a fight, brother?' mocked Skepy. Amatseru grinned broadly, which made his red eyes look out of place and silly rather than menacing – he was really just trying to wind the others up.  
'Why're you Old Tournament Bats lounging around? Think you've won the game?'  
'What game?' said Renshin sitting up; eyes blurry and hair messier than usual  
'GetAmped2?' replied Amatseru.  
'Are you talking about GetAmped Tournaments or just GAT?' said Skepy 'They're just matches you know, not actual Tournaments.'  
'Nevermind…Anyway, why are you guys lying about like this?'  
'Oh…Kironaka announced a new guild tournament but said we couldn't join cause we're previous winners.' answered Renshin. Amatseru glanced over at the Guild Bulletin Board,  
'This…doesn't look like a typical fighting tournament to me. Why should you guys be excluded, it's run differently.' Renshin, Skepy and Funneh exchanged perplexed looks. 'Did you guys even read it?!' probed Amatseru.  
'Well no,' said Funneh but Kiro said she wanted everyone to have a fair chance so excluded the old tournament winners.'  
'But there's no fighting involved!' burst Amatseru, baffled by this reasoning 'It's a-'  
'It's a Singing Competition!' Kazeru had pounced onto the scene, twirling like a majestic ballerina and appropriately wearing a full dress and tiara like a beautiful princess. Renshin, Skepy and Funneh looked at each other once more, smiling  
'Looks like we miss out on nothing after all' said Skepy through his teeth.  
'Yeaahh.' Said Funneh 'I'm a Fighter, not a Singer.'  
'What are you guys talking about!' piped up Renshin 'I wish I could sing in a competition, I'd be great!'  
'You gotta let this underdog shine' beamed Kazeru flicking Renshin's nose.  
'I already shine with my golden coat, thank you.' Replied the actual dog Spotpup walking past and overhearing 'But I will be entering too, so see you there.'  
'The contest will be in Spin Square after dark,' said Kazeru eying down Spot moodily as he walked away 'Kironaka and Kenshiro are setting up a stage now, don't ask where Laurie is, word is he's hungover or something but they're still gonna try and get him to come and maybe participate.'  
'Where are we gonna go in Spin Square to see this?' asked Funneh 'The place is pretty huge after all..'  
'Oh! They got Diceman to move for the evening!' cried Kazeru barely containing his excitement 'So it'll be just north of the fountain! Anyone's free to come and watch.' Amatseru, Renshin, Skepy and Funneh nodded to one another, they could be in for a humorous night. As they casually wandered down to the Spin Square Kazeru dashed off, holding the sides of his dress to step further with his heels on.

It wasn't long before the big players all hit the stage; Kazeru with his pretty princess dress, Spot in a scruffy looking sky blue suit and a red bowtie, Laurie who had showed up last minute, blank faced and wearing only a heart-patterned set of boxer briefs, and lastly Renshin – who despite having winning The Heavenly Drill Battle as a previous Guild Event was determined to sing his heart out.  
Kironaka as head-honcho guild event organiser and judge sat in the very front row with a desk in front of her, she looked on smiling at the participation for a non-battling guild event.  
'Can Renshin even enter..?' whispered Kenshiro who was also one of the event's judges. Kironaka glanced over at Renshin on the far right, who at initial first glance looked perfectly normal, but upon inspection was indeed standing unusually still and straight, his smile a little forced and a dabble of sweat on his forehead. Kironaka gave a positively enthused nod and Kenshiro, shrugging slightly, leant back into his seat.  
'How did I get here…' mumbled Laurie as he scratched the crotch of his boxers slowly, unaware of the audience. No one acknowledged this as Shot, the third person behind the judges table, stood up.  
'Not the biggest turnout of people wanting to participate, we can't all be singers I guess. But anyway, we'd like to start now, Spot, you're up first…Spot?' Spot was faced away from the judges and audience, trembling slightly. As he turned back it became apparent that he was in fact laughing  
'Sorry-' said Spot mid-giggle 'I just find it funny how we have a strict, nice and umm..a black guy as judges.' The judges looked confusingly at one another, and Shot rather offended. 'Like Simon, Paula and Randy from the original American Idol?' Everyone suddenly understood, but no one laughed.  
'Thanks for that Spot, you're disqualified,' said Shot politely 'please leave the stage.'  
'What?! I didn't even get to sing! C'mon Kironaka, surely you're not in favour of this!' Kironaka gave yet another positively enthused nod. Spot with his body tense from pleading suddenly drooped and he ambled slowly off-stage with his feet dragging and his sad tail between his legs.

With the centre stage now free, Kazeru lifting the corners of his dress to walk stepped forward, beaming with happiness.  
'Uh, Kazeru it's not your turn.' said Kenshiro with forced sympathy 'Renshin will be up next.' Kazeru wondered if this had been done just to spite him, but begrudgingly returned to his seat while the nervous shuffling Renshin took his place. As Renshin stepped up to the microphone beads of sweat were now dropping to the ground from his head. His adamant smile remained slightly askew, he took in a deep calming breath to begin singing  
'WAIT!' came a loud cry from stage left. Amatseru had rushed on to the stage with Moko short in tow. 'We want to enter too!'  
'Amat and Moko…?' said a puzzled Shot with an eyebrow raised 'You two are the last people I would think to enter.'  
'We weren't gonna…' said Amatseru shyly – an image very strange in contrast to his blood red eyes  
'But with my KDJ skills accompanying Amat's singing,' said Moko taking charge 'we thought we might be able to pull it off, so we'd like to enter as a duo!'  
'Are they allowed to do that?' whispered Kenshiro over to Kiro. Kironaka gave yet another positively enthused nod. 'Well…if you say so.' He said with a sigh sinking back into his chair once more.  
'HOLD ON!' cried an angry voice from the audience 'If those latecomers get to join then some of us in audience who never signed up should get to as well!' There was apparent unanimous agreement from the rest of the audience behind the judges  
'Floof, I'm sure your singing voice is great,' said Shot 'but the contest is already under way, so I'm sorry Amat and Moko..' the two looked aghast 'but if we let you join last minute then everyone else should be allowed as well, and we're not going to do that, are we Kiro?' Kironaka gave yet another positively enthused nod. 'We..We are?!' There was a loud cheer from the crowd and one by one guild members flocked to the stage; Grau fixing his hair, Bladmius clearing his through calmly, as well as Aquila looking neutral and simply blurting noises and speaking in tongues. Several others followed behind, grinning and getting themselves AMPED up.  
'NO!' blurted Kazeru, stomping his feet forcefully under his dress and red in the face. 'I won't allow any of these lazy late entries! If they want to join they should've signed up in advance!'  
"baaah, c'mon Kaz.' Bargained Shot 'Don't be a fun-hog. Let the others join, it's only a singing contest.'  
'What am I doing here…' murmured Laurie, still standing motionless in his underwear.  
'I won't allow it! Nah! No way!' continued Kazeru 'I won't let them ruin my chances at winning!' with darkness emitting from his hands, Kazeru spawned two violent looking mutilation discus, contrasting horribly with his elegant dress and tiara. 'THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE FUCKING PRETTY PRINCESS.' And with that proclamation he dived into the mob of newcomers to the stage, singling out the oblivious Aquila, still humming and making noises. At the moment of impact in an instant Aquila leaned fully back, his feet still grounded but his back horizontal. His face was still oblivious but gradually formed surprise. Kazeru was slashed back by a Sacrifice Reaper Scythe which spawned in Aquila's hand the moment he swung into action.  
'If this singing contest has fighting then I'm definitely in' grinned Aquila before being blown away by a gigantic laser beam.  
'Does a laser from the mouth of my laser blaster count as singing..?' asked Grau in mid-air  
'None of it really matters anymore.' whispered a voice from behind him 'Hello.' An Ardent Hammer pummelled Grau down into the ground with full force brandished by Bladimus  
'It does matter! I may be nervous but I want to sing!' cried Renshin hastily 'Surprise!' with a fully charged Kung-Fu punch Renshin sent Bladimus soaring from view. The chaos of these single knockouts had sent the other guild members into a frenzy, Moko and Amatseru holding their own against a barrage of bullets and flying daggers, Kenshiro and Shot defending Kiro against people who had forgotten they were supposed to be judges, Spot rushing around wildly slashing people with the gigantic Exodus Power sword.  
'THIS IS IT FOR YOU GUYS!' screamed Kazeru at the top of his lungs, his mutilation discs spinning out of control and vibrating madly 'I WILL BE THE PRETTIEST PRINCESS!' with a harsh flick of both his arms discs flew everywhere slicing everything in their path and simultaneously exploding with a massive boom that absorbed the whole section of Spin Square.

When the debris of the explosion had cleared a skeleton of the stage remained, bodies scattered left, right and centre. One solitary, unaffected figure remained as a dim shadow in the dust. Kironaka, Shot and Kenshiro who were still conscious and at their seats leaned forward and squinted their eyes to see the victor of the destruction  
'What am I doing here…' the messy haired, blood-shot eyed Laurie remained, now completely naked as his heart-patterned underwear lay as a pile of ripped up ash at his feet. As for the rest of his body not a single urn could be seen. Smiling as she had the entire time Kironaka gave yet another positively enthused nod. Shot and Kenshiro both looked to their left and right at Kiro in the middle of the two, then uncertainly at one another, then back at the wrecked stage.  
'Right..uhh..' mumbled Kenshiro  
'We have a winner!' blurted out Shot. Laurie's tired eyes blankly stared off into space as he remained emotionless as he slowly grinded his head over to face Shot. The two stared at one another, Shot furrowing his eyebrows in perplexity. Laurie's blank face slowly began to smile, his eyes teared up in possible happiness, until Shot realised the hilt of Spot's enormous Exodus Power sword popping out from Laurie's anus but with Spot nowhere to be seen. In an instant without seeing him fall Laurie was flat on his face, not dead, but merely sleeping and snoring loudly on the ground.  
Bodies everywhere, the stage with wooden planks snapped and the curtains tattered, the three judges remained motionless. Kironaka rose wiping her hands together as if signifying a job well done then shuffled past Kenshiro and walked off.  
'That's it..?' muttered Kenshiro 'There was no singing at all, just a normal tournament battle...No winner.'  
'You're right,' answered Shot 'But we did have fun right? I mean look;' Kenshiro looked around examining all the bodiesclosely, and suddenly it was clear. Everyone; whether unconscious or sleeping, was smiling peacefully. Kenshiro snickered to himself as he realised Shot was right – he couldn't help himself, because he too was smiling.


	5. Oldschool Faces

Something was off about the guild room, it looked less energetic and lively as usual, as if the clocks had gone backward to a different time where the guild was not as populated and interconnected as it was today. But as a matter of fact this was exactly what had happened; Laurie just didn't realise it yet as he stroked his polygon mish-mash of smooth and spiky hair.  
"I don't feel myself.." muttered Laurie to himself "Is my hair always like this? My clothes too!?" he looked down at his plain white long-sleeve and electric blue jeans. "There is something a little familiar about this though…Did I wear this once?"  
"GAH!" came a distant cry from Renshin who came running over at top speed "What am I!" he screamed whilst looking more or less the same as he always did. His hair and outfit were possibly not as detailed as always, but he still had the same hair, face and jacket.  
"You're not too bad Renshin," admitted Laurie "at least I know it's you. I have no idea what that guy over there is." Laurie pointed out a black and white figure sitting under one of the guild trees.  
"Crickey!" cried Renshin in a heavy attempt of an Australian accent like the Crocodile Hunter "Let's sneak in for a closer peek!" Shrugging, Laurie followed the squatting-shuffle of the crab-like Renshin over to the figure by the tree  
"Kai is Maori for food." Stated Laurie reading the shirt of the stranger "and Kaiser is German for king…Food King?"  
"Laurie, It's me!" cried the mysterious man looking up, startled. "Kazeru! This use to be my look, you didn't really know me back then."  
"Ooooooh… right." said Laurie not fully understanding but pretending to. "Who's your friend?" On the other side of the tree was another unknown figure to Laurie.  
"Laurie...seriously...c'mon." The chubby stern-looking face was unfamiliar, however his outfit was exactly the same as…  
"Original?" Laurie could scarely remember the days Original looked like this with a grumpy looking face all the time and fairly vacant eyes.  
"Don't you dare get fucking started on the hair, yeah, I see you snickering over there, Renshin!" With Original's overly angry burst over something minor Laurie couldn't help but start laughing – Original's old look had an infamous 'Triangle Haircut' which was pointy to the touch. "Yeah, laugh it up Laurie!" shouted Original spitefully "You still have your old helmet hair."  
"Don't try and shift the spotlight onto me" gasped Laurie as he got his laughter under control "You're the one with triangle hair after all."  
"Baah!" grumbled Original, "I don't wanna live in the past, how are we gonna get out old..our current…urgh! You get what I mean!" The group pondered to themselves; how they became like this was completely unknown  
"Well giving us our old looks is definitely some sort of magic, but also creepy…" said Renshin vocalizing his thoughts  
"I think it's cool" grinned Kazeru.  
"Trust Kaz to think something creepy is cool." Said Laurie with raised eyebrows.  
"Who do we know who is magic and creepy, Laurie?" asked Renshin  
"What?!" said Laurie taken aback "How should I know?!"  
"Because we've dealt with someone like that before..Or not, well, we never actually-"  
"You never finished episode four!" The loud demon-like voice of sorcerer Ponse loomed overhead. The four looked up to see the robed man, flying above them.  
"Why'd you make us like we were years ago?!" cried Original  
"I was hoping to restore the passion to make animations!" replied Ponse  
"Hey..It's a long process" said Renshin  
"Yeah," agreed Laurie "It's always been a long process; for all episodes. It may take longer by a little bit now but quality of episode 1 or 2 right?"  
"Can we all just shut up and get turned back to normal?" butted in Original whilst furiously trying tp pat his hair flat with no success. "Just do some more editing or whatever for episode four, Ponse might turn us back."  
"Ponse," said Laurie "turn us back and Renshin and I might do some more work on episode 4 okay?" Ponse rolled his eyes and shrugged, with a wave of his hands the four felt their bodies contort and accelerate through different forms and outfits of the past, until they stopped and were back to how they always were.  
"You guys better deliver on that…" said Ponse quietly "mark my woooooords." And before they knew it he had jumped off the edge of the guild room and was hovering down to the clouds below out of view.


	6. Beachbound! (Beach Pt1)

Lunar Antics – Beach Day

"Day at the beach!" repeated Laurie to a perplexed Original who had just asked why Laurie was wearing a pair of trunks, an orange rubber ring and a pair of goggles around his neck "and you're coming with me!" Renshin, Kazaeru and Kironaka looked up from their breakfast bows – Renshin still eating his cereal despite this sudden proposal.  
"Huh, what were you saying?" asked Kazeru.  
"Laurie wants us to have a beach day," said Original "you guys keen?" Kazeru began picking his nose, sniffed a little then said;  
"Yeah, all right."  
"Geah, gounds aorghit. Gib me ag mohmen." Gargled Renshin through his cereal  
"What?!" cried Original  
"GIG ME A MOMEN-"  
"No Renshin, we gotta go now while the day is young," said Laurie with reasoning "it's gonna take us an hour to get there, just bring your cereal with you!"  
"NOAW!" squeeled Renshin hoistering his cereal bowl right up to his face.  
"You're coming Renshin, YA' COMIN' WITH US!' Laurie leant down and attempted to thrust the bowl from Renshin's tight hold but it wouldn't budge even the slightest  
"Leave him, if he doesn't wanna come then don't force him." Said Original loosely trying to pull Laurie back from Renshin.  
"Does this mean I can join the Bunny Renegades and replace Renshin?" whispered Kazeru to Kiro who rolled her eyes and giggled to herself. Laurie was calmly knelt down on one knee with a firm hand on Renshin's shoulder now.  
"Renshin, listen, when we get to the beach I will buy you a brand new box of cereal." Renshin didn't make eye-contact and held a stiff upper lip like a child refusing to comply. "I will buy you the crescent cereal, not the cheap WIN stuff, all right?" Renshin slowly faced Laurie with his puffed out lips and half-closed eyes giving him an indulgent, chubby-looking smile. The two shook hands sealing the deal and stood up, across from them Original, Kiro and Kaz had already packed their bags and Laurie had his secret case close nearby, presumably packed with beach supplies among other unknown contents.  
"Okay, uh, let me go and get my stuff ready then" said Renshin with a quick turn  
"Togs!" called Laurie  
"Sunblock!" cried Original  
"Your Bunny Renegades hood…" mumbled Kazeru bitterly. While Renshin hurried off to pack Laurie pulled out his combat operations to contact Gillman then foolishly realised the man himself was right behind him as they were in the guild room. Receiving Laurie's orders Gillman went up to the top platform of the guild room and started spinning the helicopter's propeller to take off. As soon as Renshin re-emerged ready to hit the beach the helicopter was ready for takeoff and the five hopped in with their backpack, Laurie with his secret case, Renshin with a pink-heart bag filled with cereal. The helicopter trembled and elevated steadily into the air, into the clouds and picking up speed as they headed off to Wingdom's most popular beach spot simply known as 'The Wharf'

It was nearly midday by the time the group hovered over top of The Wharf; with tall rocks on either side and man-made wooden docks and bridges. Commonly used for more laid-back GAT battles The Wharf actually contained a golden hidden treasure on the other side of the rocks – A long sandy bay complete with shady palms, an ice cream shack and periodic calm and crazy waves for bathing and surfing alike. As the helicopter flew over the mountains of rock revealing The Wharf's luxury bay the group Ooo'd and Aah'd in awe – except for Renshin who poked Laurie's rubber tube, demanding cereal  
"When we get there!" hissed Laurie. As a rope dropped out of the hekicopter Gillman poked out a thumb, rudly indicating 'get out.' Kironaka smiled at him and athough his eyes were hidden by his sunglasses his mouth was apparent and he grinned back at her. Kiro with such agility and elegance forward-flipped out the slide-opened door with no need for the rope; with her ponytail whipping behind her in the wind like a fierce snake Kironaka landed perfectly on her feet – much like a snake who always lands perfectly, but has no feet. The rest of the Bunny Renegades; Laurie, Original and Renshin looked on god-smacked, however Kazeru was bursting with over-confidence and followed Kiro out the door without the rope. His run-up staggered slightly just before he jumped out and because of his lack of speed was unable to flip, instead he flapped about in free-fall before landing with his head firmly submerged in the sand just at the water's edge. Original gasped while Laurie silently held a fist to his mouth to stop from laughing, Renshin was already half way down the rope safely.  
"Get in, the water's great!" came Kazer's muffled voice under the sand as small waves from the water front splashed his neck and shoulders. Laurie and Original slid down swiftly onto the beach, Renshin and Original hurried off to get changed while Laurie helped pull Kazeru out of the sand.  
"The water is wonderful!" came a soft voice from their left, It was only until the two looked over that they realised it was Kironaka who had spoken, as she rarely did. Kazeru's jaw hit the floor as he looked over, for Kiro had stripped down to a navy blue bikini she wore underneath her tank-top and jeans.  
"Whh…hoo…" puffed Kazeru breathing heavily  
"Buck up, Kazeru" whispered Laurie trying to hide his own nervousness. Laurie was somewhat proud that Kironaka felt so comfortable around them that she would be first to dive into the waves, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something felt wrong at this quiet secluded beach.  
"Can I have that crescent cereal yet?" came Renshin's adamant voice from behind him  
"No, not yet!" boistered Laurie, whilst turning around. Renshin was butt naked, he completely had nothing. Original stood beside him in a full wetsuit, completely oblivious to the absurdity of Renshin's swimming attire if it could be called that. "Good god Renshin!" screamed Laurie leaping backwards and hiding behind Kazeru "Why are you wearing nothing!?"  
"Goku wore nothing when he swam in Dragon Ball." Replied Renshin with a vacant smile.  
"Yeah, but you're not goku!" snapped Laurie "If Goku jumped off a cliff, would you?!" Renshin glanced at Kazeru whose head and hair was still quite sandy from the fall.  
"No." admitted Renshin  
"Right," sighed Laurie "so put some togs on, please."  
"I got your back covered, Renshin. I'll get you something to swim in." said Original slapping Renshin's back.  
"Kironaka's already gone in…" said Kazeru dreamily.  
"Kaz! Control yourself, you're gonna weird her out." Said Laurie  
"Ready!" called Renshin. To Laurie's lack of surprise Renshin had screwed up again, but oblivious Original was to blame equally. He had cut around his waist and was wearing the lower half of his wetsuit, meanwhile Renshin was still exposed downstairs, minus his torso which was covered.  
"Goddamn it you guys…" muttered Laurie  
"What!?" snapped Original angrily "I said I had his back – look! It's covered!" before Laurie could retort he suddenly realised Kazeru had dashed off, he looked up and down the beach and saw Kazeru sprinting back in a pair of purple speedos wearing a snorkel and set of goggles from his hand.  
"Kazeru, you going for a swim?!" called Laurie. Kazeru stopped dead in his tracks  
"Uh, yeah…I guess sort of-maybe."  
"What do you mean? Can we join you?" Kazeru scratched his head, his elbow and his crotch nervously  
"Uh, no, it's okay."  
"Why do you want swim on your own-" Laurie had glanced over at Kironaka deeper in the water swimming about. "NOPE, KAZ, I think we'll be coming in with you!" Kazeru reluctantly nodded dropping his snorkel and goggles on the sand and joined the others as they entered the water. As Laurie floated about safely in his orange rubber tube with an expression of content on his face the others splashed playfully at one another, Kazeru beginning to be less awkward and splashing Kironaka as well as the other two. No one seemed to mind Renshin's privates dangling about in the ocean now that they were having so much fun. When they had had all of their fill they all waded back in to the shore, Laurie was at ease to see Renshin had fashioned a bundle of seaweed looking remarkably like swimming trunks.  
"It just happened!" exclaimed Renshin "I didn't make these or anything!" Everyone laughed at the ridiculousness of it all and then all agreed to visit the ice cream shack in the middle of the bay. The day was off to a good start and as the other four marched on ahead Laurie took a moment to be with himself and bask in the sunlight. As he turned back to look at the ocean another wave of unease washed over him as he realised Kazeru's dropped snorkel and goggles from earlier were nowhere to be seen.


	7. Ice Cream Shack (Beach Pt2)

Lunar Antics – Ice Cream Shack

Kironaka, Renshin, Original, Kazeru and Laurie bringing up the rear pushed open the old western bar styled doors and entered the dimly lit shack. Business was obviously not going too well in such a secluded location and as an ice cream bar it looked strangely old-fashioned; as if it should specialize in cheap grog or alcohol instead.  
"Does this place really sell ice cream..?" whispered Kazeru uncertainly. Kironaka shrugged and turned to listen to Laurie and Original who were already discussing the possibilities.  
"If they serve alcohol I'm getting a pint of beer!" grinned Original "That'd be nice on a hot day like this. What are you gonna get?"  
"I'll get some sake if they have it…" said Laurie curiously "I've always wanted a sake bottle."  
"You will never have a sake bottle Laurie, not unless you go to the JP server."  
"Huh?"  
"I mean Japan."  
"We don't server alcohol s you can quit your yappin'" A familiar voice had halted the groups discussion and startled Original and Laurie as they stood near the entrance. From behind the bar the voice spoke again  
"Howdy, you guys coming up to the bar to get something or what?"  
"Who is this guy?" asked Renshin  
"Not sure.." replied Laurie "But it's definitely a familiar voice, did anyone else from the guild come to the beach today?" To Laurie's right Kironaka gasped and pointed; in a booth in the far corner of the room were five figures that Laurie immediately recognised as fellow guildies  
"H-" Original had slapped a hand to Laurie's mouth and shook his head gravely  
"Something is off." He whispered "Let's just get to the bar and have an ice cream, or whatever they have."  
"Crescent cereal." Stated Renshin with utmost seriousness.  
"Yeah, we'll see." Said Laurie rolling his eyes.

The five sat next to one another at the bar in a line, the seats were rusty and uncomfortable and the wooden bar felt a bit unsafe for leaning on.  
"Why is a bar so dank in a nice location like this..?" asked Original  
"It's not dank!" snapped kazeru misinterpreting this as a slang for cool or awesome.  
"What'll it be? Came the familiar voice of the barman who had seemingly appeared right in front of them. The five of them jumped in their seats, Renshin's breaking entirely with him collapsing on the floor.  
"Give us five ice creams." Said Kironaka smiling confidently. The barmoon who was darkened by the lowered roof behind the bar let out a sigh  
"What flavour?"  
"Just any flavour please!" burst out Kazeru trying to match Kiro's confidence, but just coming off as trying to hurry the process along.  
"We don't serve ice cream." Said the barman upfrontedly.  
"Wh-Why did you ask what flavour we wanted then?!" cried Renshin. The barman sounded uncertain in himself now;  
"I don't know." He said blankly "This is a milk bar, we only have milkshakes and the like."  
"There's a sign up top of your bar saying 'Ice Cream Shack' in bright pink…well, faded pink." Stated Kazeru pointing to the roof.  
"That should say Milk Bar." Replied the voice "meant to change that, I bought this place and it already had that, this place is as old as they come."  
"That explains the creepy run-down image of the building." Original whispered to Laurie  
"Do we know you?" Laurie asked ignoring Original, feeling more certain than ever in his assumption.  
"Not that I'm aware of…" said the voice of the barman, still unidentifiable in the shadows.  
"You're not a member of Lunar? Ex-Member?"  
"Hey." Reverberating a very serious voice from the booth on the far side of the shack. His piercing red eyes and well-structured hair were instantly recognisable even from a distance; Amatseru had stood up amongst the group looking surprisingly hostile and menacing  
"Oh, hey!" called Laurie, oblivious to Original's prior warning. He briskly walked over to the booth with a grin sprawled across his face "I wanted to say hello before but Original said-" Laurie was pummelled full force into the ground by a powerful fist clad in blue boxing gloves.  
"Two hits." Came a sneering voice "Hitting you," in a stupor Laurie staggered about until his knees buckled and fell "and you hitting the floor." With a thud Laurie was out for the count, a trickle of blood leaking from the right side of his head where he had been punched. With his cunning and squinty eyes of undistinguishable colour Moko sneered overtop of Laurie, adjusting his gloves which had nearly fallen off due to the strength of the impact.  
"Bet you didn't expect that, huh 'Guild Leader'" he mocked downwardly  
"Ahhh! Laurie's down!" squeeled Kazeru  
"What the hell is wrong with you guys!" shouted Original brandishing his two-handed sword: Alastor's Rage.  
"This is out turf." Said Jordan who remained seated in the very middle of the booth "Not just this shack, the whole beach."  
"That's very unlike you guys.." said Renshin with a frown "You should share the beach with everyone."  
"We would.." said Jordan rubbing his head "but-"  
"We can do what we want." Cut in Moko who had finished fixing his tactical boxing gloves. "We're not in the Guild Room or on an actual GAT area."  
"You just knocked out the guild leader!" cried Original "and you guys seem okay with that?! You're gonna be in so much trouble when he wakes up."  
"Who says he's gonna wake up?" said Moko advancing slowly. Original felt threatened as he gripped his sword tighter.  
"Kiro, protect Laurie" he whispered back. The other two unknown guildies remained dormant at the booth, sipping milkshakes. Walking menacingly and unexpectedly breaking into a mad dash at Original, Moko pulled a fist back and Original parried with ease, whipping his sword away from the impact and striking forward with a great stab, which Moko instantly back-flipped away from.  
"C'mon Moko!" cheered Amatseru aggressively "You beat Laurie in one punch, kick Original's ass!" The cheering was abruptly put to a stop as he was grabbed then thrown aside by Renshin armed with Thai-boxing attire. Amatseru pelted down, unable to retain his balance and smashed against two rogue stools which crumbled into a heap of rotten wood and dust on top of him.  
"No spectating," smirked Renshin "you're fighting me." Amatseru growling through his teeth withdrew his concealed Ninja's kunai ready for a counter attack while Renshin stepped fiercely in true Thai-boxing form.

The two sets battled ferociously until Amatseru and Moko were back to back with each other  
"Switch up!" cried Moko in a hushed whisper. The two spun 180 degrees on the spot and dashed out, catching Original and Renshin by surprise as the wrong person charged at them. Now Amatseru was slashing wildly with small knives that Original couldn't keep up blocking due to his much larger sword, meanwhile Renshin was unable to block or reverse large punches from moko's boxing and was forced to dodge them instead, which every third punch he was unable to and took a blow. As their comrades were being beaten Kazeru was trying to sneakily get outside, leading Kiro along with him,  
"They got this." He whispered as he saw Renshin take a punch to the chest, coughing blood "They've definitely got this, let's go."  
"Not so fast!" called Jordan exiting the booth "You're not going anywhere without a fight first."  
"No, no, no!" whimpered Kazeru "We're caught-Kiro, leave him to me and you get out and get safe!" But Kiro didn't want to leave as she drew her nunchaku of gale "Kiro! Please," he continued. With a puff of black smoke Jordan was surrounded in his yatagarasu crow attire and he lunged at Kazeru, but with both of their talons perfectly locked together and he was unharmed. "Go Kiro! I won't ask again!" pleaded Kazeru with his own Crow attire and wincing through the pressure from Jordon. As her comrades fell one by one Kiro bolted for the door and out onto the sunny beach. She wanted to help them somehow but she couldn't take all of them on alone once the others were knocked out. Lunar members were often fairly equal when in random teams but for some reason this was overkill, something wrong was definitely up with this strange run down shack. There must be a way to take them all down, thought Kiro. Then suddenly she had a solution.


	8. Of Similar Appearance (Beach Pt3)

Lunar Antics – Of Similar Appearance

Laurie woke up, his vision blurred, his head dizzy. He felt the hard wood against his back, the floating unsettled dust in the air. He tilted his heavy head down to the right, seeing what the disturbance was; A clashing of blades from Original and Amatseru, Original with his small cuts all across his body and Amatseru with one massive gash across his whole chest. Moko and Jordan stood watching, mildly entertained and calm while Renshin and Kazeru lay unconscious on the floor. With an instantaneous lunge Amatseru had unleashed a special attack with his Ninja's Kunai and Original's eyes rolled back into his head as he cried out in pain.  
"That's a K.O." said Moko smugly whilst applauding.  
"Look who's awake though!" cried Jordan excitedly as he pointed over at Laurie, struggling to stand himself up against a stool. "Can I get another fight in?!" he continued, his excitement reaching a new height.  
"Leave him," said Amatseru raising a hand "our new boss wants a word with him."  
New Boss? Laurie looked around hastily for the culprit of his guildie's betrayal. The unknown figure of the bartender had revealed himself, and was most definitely recognisable as Laurie and the others had assumed, but completely non-sensical. A mirror image of Laurie stood before him, although something was amiss. Being an exact reflection the wavy hair pointed in the wrong direction, but also looked much darker in the light of the old run-down shack.  
"What is this old mirror" said Laurie, but immediately noticed his reflection not matching his mouth movement.  
"This is our new leader" said Amatseru with a menacing grin and wiping Original's blood from his weapon. "Anti-Laurie."

Laurie was pummelled again with blunt force as he choked backwards, keeping his footing but gasping for ait. His stomach ached as he predicted internal bleeding and broken ribs. The doppelganger advanced forward under a dim light from the ceiling.  
He was Laurie, but he was not.  
With jet black hair, twisted red eyes and a grey-silver Secret Case he leered down at the damaged Laurie who was horrified. Laurie could barely speak, who was the 'Anti-Laurie', how was it that someone so similar could exist and why was he running an Ice Cream Shack that no longer sold ice creams?  
"I've been hired by the Val Sharks to take over Lunar." Said the Anti with an identical voice.  
"Wouldn't be the first time I heard that" grinned Laurie despite the pain throughout his body "Ooo, I'm going to destroy 'Luner', I will make a 'guilde' better than yours, I am Luner's rival – Stuff like that."  
"But you do see what I'm capable of?" said the Anti ignoring the real Laurie and gesturing to behind him where Amatseru and the others stood. "I can control your members and amplify their powers tenfold."  
"-Well I wouldn't say that much…"  
"Hey, Moko wrecked you in one punch so don't try to deny it." Laurie kept shut after that. Anti-Laurie smirked at the silence. "Atta boy," he said snapping his fingers. Laurie heard a string of thuds behind him, the possessed guildies had simultaneously conked out face-first on the floor; Jordan banging his head on a chair in the process. "Truth be told, I can't control that many guildies at once." Said Anti-Laurie matter of factly whilst pointing towards the booth where the possessed guildies had originally been at. Laurie distinctly remembered five figures but only three had revealed themselves, was this Anti-Laurie only toying with them and using half his potential? "But what I did have at my disposal was more than enough to take all of you down." He continued as if reading Laurie's mind. "Now it's just you and me and I'll fulfil my mission earlier than expected.  
"You won't get away with this," said Laurie finally regaining his cool "the other guildies will know you're not really me."  
"Oh really…? Howdy guys, I just picked up an aquamarine at the beach?! Cool, huh? Okay I gotta go AFK now, see you later, good ***ht!" Laurie had been silenced once more. "I just tell your guildies that I dress like this from now on with black and red stripes instead and they'll believe it 110%."

Laurie was in agony, but also very drowsy as he clutched his chest. "Oh are you feeling a bit faint?" mocked Anti-Laurie "C'mon, aren't you going to be brave and put on one last fight? Or you could save some time for me and just die." His whole body was heavy from the pain as he tried to stand up. "It's been fun, I'll be off to take over Lunar now."  
"WAIT!" Laurie had cried out whilst realising he had only seen Original, Renshin and Kazeru's bodies around him – but certainly no Kironaka; surely she had gone off to get support and it wouldn't be long before she returned with company for a rescue. That must be what she was doing!  
"What?" sneered Anti-Laurie "I don't have time for this."  
"How are you possible, how are you me? Who created you?"  
"Ponse created me," he replied, entertaining Laurie's questioning but looking mildly disinterested at his fingernails. "I don't know how he did it, all I know is that I hate being a clone of someone else and not being myself. Even if we're the same you're you and I'm you. But originally I am no one." Laurie didn't follow a word of this, but as long as Anti-Laurie kept talking it didn't matter. "I am meaningless until you are dead – now stop prolonging your life!" The reflection on his existence had angered the Anti and possibly frightened him. Anti-Laurie held high the grey-red Secret Case stained from Laurie's blood; Kiro had to arrive soon! "Goodbye you. Hello Me-You…Or, just Me because I'll really be You..Or you'll be dead so I will only be-"  
The wall to the shack erupted open in a fiery blaze, bullets pierced through the wall and splintered the wood off into fragments. The rest of the shack caught fire and the two Laurie's suddenly could scarcely see through the smoke "ARGH, What! Who was that!" Anti-Laurie roared from a distance. Laurie felt a tight grip on his arm  
"Kept you waiting long? I hope not." Came Kenshiro's voice through the smoke.  
"I'll get the others!" cried Funneh somewhere from Laurie's right as he started being dragged backwards out of the burning building. Purple rays shot from all directions in the smoke  
"Obey me!" Cried Anti-Laurie "Kill Laurie!"  
"Wow, Kiro was right, he was controlling the others!" squealed Spotpup excitedly who rushed over to help pull Laurie at double the speed.

The smoke cleared in small waves and Laurie caught glimpses of Kiro in the fray with her nunchak of gale, smacking Anti-Laurie about. Another purple ray shot wildly out of the smoke, missing Kenshiro's head by an inch as he violently jerked his head for a successful dodge. As Laurie was pulled out into the sunlight he heard the whirling of helicopter propellers overhead. Gillman had returned for a rescue operation! Neymar stood at the door as Kenshiro and Funneh exited the building dragging Laurie behind "More guildies will be arriving shortly to rescue the others!" he reported  
"Good, hold the fort." Said Kenshiro "As long as Kiro and Shot keep the guy disoriented in the smoke he won't control anyone else." Funneh jumped up into the open helicopter door as it flew low for the pickup while Kenshiro stayed below and lifted Laurie up to Funneh.  
"Good luck!" called Funneh as he and Laurie ascended into the air. Kenshiro nodded down below and rushed past Neymar back into the shack. A much larger, armoured Helicopter passed by piloted by Aquila who gave a confident wave as he headed toward the battle to rescue the others.  
"I hope the others are safe.." groaned Laurie "Shot and Ken providing bomb support and Kiro with wind? They can keep up a smokescreen for ages."

As the helicopter flew back over the golden sands and the rocky outcrop toward The Wharf, Laurie couldn't begin to see why Ponse would create an evil copy of him to take over the guild. Funneh grinned, noticing Laurie lost in thought; "Next time you go to the beach, make sure to invite more of us."


	9. Friday Dinner Duty

Lunar Antics – Friday Dinner Duty

Friday Dinner duty in the guild was always a huge debate, sometimes the outcome was delicious, but most of the time it was flat out inedible. Tonight Laurie had assigned the most bizarre of trios to cook together; Original who although was a handsome young man ate the unhealthiest of diets but still with-held a fit physique, Funneh who was quite the opposite and ate healthily but lacked preparation skills for cooking, and lastly Spotpup, who inexplicably was a dog and could eat quite literally anything except maybe chocolate because apparently that kills them.

Underneath the left platform was the guild kitchens: Industrial strength stovetops, ovens and crockery lined the perimeters of the room – nothing was inaccessible which provided swift food preparation. Original was absent-mindedly chewing bubblegum and blowing bubbles which popped loudly in Funneh's ear who stood close by. Funneh was positively furious with his white spiky hair, he had his arms folded angrily and wore a black apron which inappropriately read "F**K YOU" in white lettering. Oddly though the blanked out letters were in the shapes of a cookie and a cake. Along with original looking very bored and Funneh quietly boiling, Spotpup was quite the eager beaver with an entire chef's outfit on complete with Chef's hat and red scarf.  
"I've never cooked before!" cried Spot excitedly "I'm usually quite content with my dog food!"  
"Why are we on COOKING DUTY!" erupted Funneh who couldn't contain his fury any longer "Laurie knows none of us can cook! Why did he put us all on together! Usually there's at least one person to instruct the others and it's all smooth!"  
"Because this is the first Friday in awhile that I've been free." The trio spun around to see who had spoken. A short brown haired girl wearing a similar outfit to Spot's, minus the Chef's hat stood by the stovetops behind them with a gigantic cooking pan on her back.  
"I've heard rumours…" whispered Spot "The legendary Guild Chef – Ramona!"  
"That's right" smiled Ramona dicing up vegetables and sirloin faster than their eyes could see, except for Spot because as a dog he has heightened senses. "I cook all the food for the guild every day of the week, it's an easy task for me – But Friday is usually Poker Night, so that's why you guys have a Friday Dinner Duty." Original pictured Ramona's dicing of ingredients as shuffling and dealing cards and suddenly found this hobby not hard to believe. "Dolores gambled all her pocket money away last week so she wasn't keen to come along, so that meant Yashako didn't want to come either, and Yashako not coming made L.J not wanna come – I'm telling you people should just express their feelings for one another and stop tiptoeing around."  
"Why aren't you wearing a Chef's hat?" asked Spot completely invested into his question and nothing else that was being spoken.  
"Well I would have one but there's no accessory which gives you one, Laurie and Renshin tried to get me one a few years ago but…WELL, anyway, I'm here to teach you guys how to cook, not just for the betterment of the guild, but so you can cook for yourselves whenever your hungry. Cooking is a very important life skill you know!" Original could agree with that, and he liked Ramona's style, although she wore a Chef's outfit and it was her duty to the guild she didn't let it consume her outlook on the world. Funneh on the other hand was having none of it, as he grumbled to himself quietly, he was content eating an apple or a piece of toast if he was hungry, he had a simple diet and didn't need to cook. Lastly Spot was absolutely thrilled as he jumped up and down crying;  
"OOOOOO! What are we going to make!" Ramona smiled at his enthusiasm  
"A simple lasagne, you'll have your meat and veges, a bit of dairy, and carbohydrates all in one delicious oven dish.  
"Lasagne?!" cried Spot "Who do you think I am? Garfield? I'm a DOG." The others laughed whilst Ramona rolled her eyes through a smile  
"Trust me, once you guys make this you'll see why it's his favourite food."

The group's gatting skills paid off as they diced chicken, mushroom and onion respectfully. Chicken as thick cubes, onion as thin strands and mushroom as fine slices. Funneh was quite smug about the quality of his onion strands, meanwhile Spot couldn't care less about his mushroom as chicken was the only thing he had eyes for, after all, being a dog he was technically a carnivore. With a drizzle of virgin olive oil the chicken was cooked on it's own until lightly brown, the the onion was thrown in, then the mushroom.  
"They all have different cooking times!" cried Ramona "Don't mess up the order otherwise you might have some undercooked ingredients on your hands, the chicken is what you need to be worrying about most, leaving that undercooked could get you seriously sick with salmonella.  
"Mmm…Salmon" salivated Original as the bubblegum slipped out of his mouth and onto the bench top  
"Be glad that didn't land in the pan…" said Ramona devastatingly "Now, we could cut up some more fresh ingredients but this alternative should be just as good." Ramona placed down a tin can and a frozen bag with a thud.  
"Tinned tomato puree, frozen mixed vegetables." Said Funneh reading aloud  
"That's right, open up that can, Funneh" said Ramona pulling out a can opener and passing it over. "and Spot, if you wouldn't mind tearing the corner of this bag off."  
"BLAEGH, I hate vegetables!" cried Spot  
"Trust me, you'll barely taste them with the chicken and the sauce.

The tomato puree and veges were added to make a smooth sauce with chicken and assorted vegetables and once it was all mixed up Laurie popped his head into the kitchens and demanded that the cooking process was sped up because 'these stories don't write themselves you know.'  
Pasta sheets were layered out, sheet, sauce, sheet, sauce, several times over with finely grated chedder cheese throughout. In a big dish it was all cooked in the oven at 200 degrees for awhile while being monitored and then when it came out brown and crisp on the surface, but gooey and delicious on the inside.

Walking in line, Funneh, Original and Spotpup nervously headed up the dinner tables lined up with chatting guildies, Funneh nervously presented Laurie a large slice of lasagne on a plate who like an exquisite connoisseur of taste shovelled a piece onto his fork, blew on it and put it into his mouth. Sweat dripped down Original's forehead as Laurie munched away, while the rest of the guild waited with baited breath, with the exception of Aquila who shouted;  
"WE'RE HUNGRY, HURRY UP, WE KNOW HOW THIS STORIES GONNA END, IT'S GONNA BE DELICIOUS, IT EVEN SAID SO EARLIER IN THE STORY THAT IT LOOKED DELICI-" and while Laurie's unused knife pierced through Aquila's skull he cried  
"Delicious!" and the rest of the guild cheered at the success of the culinary rookies now graduated to acceptable chefs!

The whole guild tucked in as Ramona, winking at her apprentice chefs, brought out multiple portions on plates for everyone to enjoy and Original Funneh and Spot were very proud to have finally cooked something and felt in future they could try cooking new things on their own.


	10. MegaFest (Mega Op Pt1)

Lunar Antics – MegaFest

"We have a winner!" Cried Jacky Noboru as Laurie's head splashed up out of the tub of water.  
"HOOWAY!" he roared through the two full apples bursting out of each cheek. Floof nibbled at his own small un-ripened apple bitterly, he thought the least that could happen would be Laurie getting a bigger apple. Never could he have imagined that Laurie would get two but what he didn't know was that Laurie was the apple bobbing master.  
"DOH WOWEE," gargled Laurie behind his massively round cheeks "You til wom!" Floof smiled to himself, he had indeed still won, by getting two apples Laurie hadn't proved anything more except that he really liked apples. "There's still plenty more games for us to play!" continued Laurie after forcefully swallowing the rest of the apples.

Today was the day of the Megaforce Festival or 'MegaFest' run by various members of the Megaforce and hosted by the biggest party animal of them all – Red Bull. When Red Bull had sent Laurie a letter to meet him personally at the Megaforce HQ Laurie nervously accepted, thinking it to be a secret mission or a guild operation of sorts on a massive scale. He was very surprised to find that when he arrived Red Bull was more nervous than he, with red cheeks and diverting his eye contact and muttering something quietly.  
"What?" asked Laurie  
"Please…" murmered Red bull "Please can you and your guild come to the Megaforce Festival…" with a sigh of relief Laurie said they would definitely come, and there was nothing to be worried about.

In a desolate sandy area outside of Wingdom a large wooden stage and a gigantic drum centralised the festival and surrounding it from all sides were stalls for food, souvenirs and festival games. Laurie and Floof ate hot dogs as they browsed the stalls – Laurie had bought Floof's hot dog as an apology for showing him up by getting two apples instead of one in a single dunk. Floof's hot dog was regular and delicious whereas Laurie's had a grotesque amount of mustard on it which he had requested to squirt on himself from the sceptical looking Big Gen operating the hot dog stand. Laurie coughed and spluttered through mouthfuls of mustard as he pointed to one of the stalls where Shot and Aquila were playing a shooting game with water pistols. With perfect precision Shot poured an unshifting stream of water into the clown head's mouth, which filled a balloon of water atop the head slowly; the goal was to continue until the balloon was full to win a prize.  
The game was tense, not because both Shot and Aquila were neck and neck, but because Aquila's balloon was empty and he was faced 90 degrees away from the balloon directly facing Shot and with equal unflinching accuracy was shooting an endless stream of water into the side of Shot's head.  
"Are they competing?" whispered Floof to Laurie as they wandered past.  
"Aquila's not." Replied Laurie sourly.  
"Uh, the balloons full" said Mike who was running the game stall. Shot kept squirting; the balloon was wobbling with fullness now.

Laurie and Floof shuffled away with their hot dogs to look at the other stalls. Floof looked at all of the "jordanju: wat I miss" and "Manteppp: Amped Messiah" plush toys at a nearby stall whilst a distant pop and splash could be heard then real guns firing angrily. The two returned to the large drum stage in the centre of the festival which acted as a meeting point. There they reunited with Kazeru, Josh, Renshin and Spotpup who sat around with ice blocks, Kazeru was noticeably wearing a yellow medical hard hat with a green cross.  
"Hi guys," said Floof with a friendly tone  
"What's with the hat?" asked Laurie immediately, his curiosity loosely taking priority over being polite.  
"Oh this?" replied Kazeru instantly, knocking his knuckles against his hat. "I got this at the Megaforce costume shop, it's just like Big Gen's, he's awesome!"  
"We saw him before," shared Floof "he tried to save Laurie's hot dog from a mustard overdose."  
"I never thought Big Gen was your favourite Megaforce member!?" cried Laurie surprised  
"I mean…He's not really one of the top fighters like Fabrico or Mike; I can't imagine they'd actively sell merchandise for him."  
"Huh…" sighed Kazeru "No wonder I had to ask for this…and I got it for free from a first aid box." Josh, Renshin and Spot exchanged glances through their ice blocks.  
"I don't think that was meant for costume purposes.." Laurie stated.  
"Hey Laurie.." came a quiet voice from the bottom of the stage steps. Laurie turned around to see Yashako looking shy with her hands together  
"Oh hello," said Laurie with a smile "Something wrong?"  
"Oh no...Nothing's wrong...I just got you a present." She uncapped her hands revealing a small plastic keyring "It's an aquamarine keyring, well, not a real one, just the pixelated image of one. I thought you might like it."  
"Oh that's cool!" exclaimed Laurie "I'll...Well I don't know what to do with it if I'm being honest." Yashako briefly looked away as if on the verge of tears, but then suddenly stopped as a loud booming beat was made from behind the group. They all spun around looking at the giant drum; It was definitely a slow drumming noise being made, but no one could be seen beating it.  
"It's coming from inside..?!" asked Kazeru in a hushed panicking whisper.

As the drumming grew louder and the beats faster Spot, Josh and Kazeru threw aside their ice blocks to arm themselves, while Renshin attempted to eat his all at once succumbing to serious brain-freeze. Spot with his Celestial Robe, Josh with his Prussian Kaiser and Kazeru with his yatagarasu crow attire the three prepared for battle, while Laurie and Floof protected Yashako and Renshin groaned with a hand on his forehead. The drum burst open with a torrent of wind which had been tightly compressed, everybody's eyes winced shut and yashako's scream could be heard;  
"Val sharks!" Laurie squinted through the wind; blank white eyes through black masks could be seen leering – Two Val Shark Members! They were outnumbered significantly but had caught the group by surprise. Fire exploded from the ground before anyone could recover, burning Kazeru, Spot, Josh and Floof to a crisp instantly. Laurie was hasty enough to dodge the flames whereas Renshin was hit full force by the flames but dealt no harm to him – in fact it cured his brain-freeze.  
"Satanic Glimpse!" cried Laurie as he saw one of the regular looking Val Shark members with glowing claws and horns. Yashako hid behind Renshin, stepping away from the unconscious Floof. "Renshin, protect Yashako!" Laurie shouted  
"Ooo, ah, I dunno, brainfreeze…" muttered Renshin ambling away from Yashako despite apparent sweat on his forehead from the nearby flames.  
"VAL SHARK INVASION!" boomed a powerful voice cracking the very ground he stood on; Red Bull appeared as if by magic, but it was more likely that he fell with such weight from higher up that he fell down fast. "MEGAFORCE ASSEMBLE." From various stalls Megaforce members of all shapes and sizes burst out into the Festival's centre: Mike with a grenade launcher, dripping wet from Shot and Aquila's burst water balloon, Jacky Noboru with gauntlets of fire blazing, Mighty with a baseball bat at his shoulder, Fabrico with a lightning blaster and several other recognisable faces, among them the bland-faced Big Gen. The Val Sharks turned to one another in shock "GO MEGAFORCE SOLDIERS!" boomed Red Bull "ATTACCKK!"

As the armed forces bolted forward, Laurie caught a flash of the Val Sharks masks dropping revealing David and Razz underneath, two of Lunar's older and recognised members.  
"No no wait! It was just a prank!" cried David  
"Yeah, stop! It was just- wait st-" and before Razz could say anything more the two were sent flying high into the sky, far, far away. The faint cries of a joking David could be heard before going out of earshot  
"Looks like Val Sharks are blasting off agaaaainnn..!"

The remainder of the group stood silently, with quiet mumbles from Renshin still claiming to be suffering from brain-freeze and making sure not to be too close to Yashako. Laurie knew the fake Val-Sharks were just two of his guild members joking about, but the Megaforce didn't.  
"Hoorah! Crisis averted!" cheered Jacky "Well it's back to the apple bobbing stand for me, let's resume the MegaFest, huh guys?!"  
Laurie sighed a sigh of relief, David and Razz hadn't destroyed any of the stalls or harmed any Megaforce members, only Lunar ones. If anything had happened with Lunar members harming Megaforce ones, even for a bit of fun or as a joke then the two wouldn't be on good terms and mission opportunities would be harder to get – After all, The Megaforce was at the center of it all.  
Suddenly Laurie's heart stopped; Red Bull was looking sternly at him, right in the eyes and wearing a very grim expression. He knew.

"We have to go now Renshin." Muttered Laurie, hoping none of the other Megaforce members would hear.  
"Aaah, brainfree-"  
"Renshin! We have to go." Renshin stopped flailing about and looked at Laurie and noticed the seriousness of his eyes. This was not the request of a friend, but the order of a leader. Awakening the other guildies and saying hasty goodbyes to Megaforce members, unaware of the false Val Shark invasion, the guild group headed out of the festival.  
Things could end up bad, thought Laurie. Without Megaforce support mission opportunities would lower, Megaforce members aiding in underprepared missions would cease and general WIN income for the guild would decrease. David and Razz got what they deserved but were now nowhere to be seen to fix what they had done. It would be up to Laurie to flesh over the unsettlement between the big organisations of Lunar and Megaforce.


	11. Red Bull's Proposition (Mega Op Pt2)

Lunar Antics – Red Bull's Proposition

Ever since the Megaforce Festival incident five days ago where Lunar members David and Razz pretended to be Val Sharks and frightened the Megaforce, Laurie had been on edge as he knew that Red Bull knew it was two Lunar members behind the false surprise attack. If all of the Megaforce found out there could be a loss of partnership and Lunar would no longer receive missions or Megaforce aid.

Laurie sat on the highest-most platform of the guild room, contemplating the guild and it's stability if it lost the right to perform missions.  
"What are you doing up here alone?" came the steady voice of Josh coming up the steps behind him.  
"Huh?!" gasped Laurie, taken aback Oh, hello." He was able to muster while trying to give a calm smile but instead flashing his teeth momentarily before starring off into the distance once more.  
"You look pale.." continued Josh peering closer at Laurie who wiped sweat away from his forehead. "Anyway, the mail icon is flashing," Laurie hadn't even noticed, "Thought I'd just let you know…If you're sure you're okay I'll be off to do GAT battles now." As Josh turned and headed back down the stairs Laurie muttered quietly;  
"Thanks Josh." Pulling out his mobile and skimming the inbox the most recent email stuck out like a sharp thorn – 'From Red Bull'

Feeling nauseous Laurie tapped the mail on his screen and read; It simply said 'Meet me in Spin Square.' A private meeting between the two! Surely things could be fleshed over. Without delay Laurie rose from being seated and flashed off, passing the ambling Josh along the way who looked particularly baffled. Lunar WAS NOT trying to sabotage the Megaforce Festival and put the blame on the Val Sharks – It was two members pulling a very bad prank and their actions should not represent the entire guild, this had been the case on a rare few occasions. Besides, the entire Megaforce had already beaten both David and Razz so hard that they hadn't been seen since five days ago when the Festival took place!

As Laurie arrived at the foot of Spin Square's entrance steps Red bull could be seen sitting awkwardly on a wooden bench, newspaper in hand and quite obviously trying to be disguised. Although he looked funny Laurie couldn't help but feel the nervous lump in his throat remain solitary, for it was Red Bull himself who requested to see Laurie, and after a five day stagnation, Laurie had no idea how Red Bull felt. Laurie walked on over and sat beside Red Bull  
"Look, before you say anything…" said Red Bull not moving an inch from his newspaper "I don't feel bad about what happened at all." Laurie sighed a massive sigh of relief, and was about to express his gratitude "However," he continued "I am a little offended…and hope you can make it up to me with a simple mission."  
"I- OH, of course!" burst Laurie longing to speak "I was super worried you were upset and were gonna severe contact with the guild!" Red Bull smirked;  
"Two Val Sharks or screwing around guild members would never upset me. But I figured I'd mess with you a little bit so you'd feel bad and agree to do a mission free of charge with no reward!" Red Bull cackled heartily whilst Laurie felt betrayed, but he wasn't willing to step down from a directly assigned mission regardless "Haha, maybe I shouldn't have told you that…Anyway, your mission is; I would like you or one of your guild members to take Yashako out, basically take her somewhere nice and-"  
"Hold on." Laurie cut in whilst leaning towards Red Bull and closer to the outstretched newspaper "Take Yashako out..?"  
"Yes." Replied Red Bull blankly. "Take her out for dinner, show her the town, do karaoke, whatever – I just think it will boost her confidence and hopefully increase her bravery in battle. During the festival all Yashako did when your two guild members tried to attack was scream and hide behind people. I want her to not be like this in the face of danger, you see?!" Laurie did see, but the connection between going on a date and battling was so distant this didn't seem practical.  
"Why don't I let Yashako train with Kenshiro for a few sessions, he knows dozens of fighting techniques and strategies, I'm sure it would be absolutely no prob-"  
"My word is final, Moon." interjected Red Bull whilst definitively closing his newspaper. "You're doing me a favour, remember what your two guild members disguised as Val Sharks did?"  
"You just said that didn't upset you too much!"  
"Not too much. But I was still bitterly hurt. Wounded even."  
"Fine! Okay!" grumbled Laurie rising from the wooden bench "But I'm having nothing to do with this mission – I'll assign a crack team of dating professionals to manufacture the perfect date, and one to execute it." Red Bull nodded swiftly to Laurie's big words and began folding up his paper.  
"So I can expect to see Yashako brimming with confidence by tomorrow?"  
"T-t-tomorrow!?" cried Laurie aghast.  
"Mmm…" replied Red Bull mildly  
"But it's nearly sunset! We won't have enough time to plan or think about what to do, it will be dark shortly!" Red Bull's head silently rotated to face Laurie  
"Then you better get your crack team of dating professionals together…Goodbye, Moon." And with a cheeky wave ill-fitting of the ferocious Megaforce leader, Red Bull had walked down the stone steps and was gone from sight.


	12. Operation Restoration (Mega Op Pt3)

Lunar Antics – Operation Restoration

'Crack team of dating professionals' was an overstatement thought Laurie as he sat before Renshin, Kazeru, Shot and Josh who were all smiling politely and sitting on foldout chairs. Laurie stared across each and every one of them blankly  
"So what's the plan, leader!" cried Josh enthusiastically. Laurie gazed back uncertain if Josh was serious or sarcastic.  
"I dunno," he said "but I'm out."  
"Huh!?" gasped Kazeru "But don't we have to totally score with Yashako as per the mission?!"  
"Listen to what you just said once more and see how ridiculous that sentence sound. I am having none of this – I'm out." The moment the words left his lips Laurie power-walked out of the guild room and his whereabouts for the rest of the evening remained unknown.  
"Great…" muttered Shot slumping back into his fold-out chair "What the heck are we gonna do now?"  
"Don't worry." Said Kazeru with a thumbs up "I have a plan, but it might be risky, seeming…well, I don't know…"  
"Well none of us have any other ideas," said Josh with an open arm "let's hear it." Kazeru was still a little unsure, but told the group regardless.

Once the whole group had heard it and understood the risk, they decided to go ahead regardless.  
"So Shot and Josh will be on communications support and talking to you through an earpiece." Said Kazeru to Renshin.  
"Black-Ops." stated Josh "Real mature."  
"What? Uh…no that wasn't my aim…" replied Kazeru awkwardly. "Anyway, Renshin, you pick the place for the date as you will be the one who takes Yashako out."  
"Okay!" beamed Renshin with a positive smile  
"But listen Renshin, make it somewhere nice and romantic – quiet too, those are the best places to get to know someone; then we can go ahead with our plan a little later."

As Red Bull had said and Laurie had passed on to the four operatives; Yashako needed her confidence boosted by tomorrow and it was already nightfall. But the four already had this all planned out – The date would be this evening and Yashako would come out of it as a new woman. Renshin met up with Yashako and both were very nervous; the two had never spoken or had any interaction with one another; except for five days prior during the MegaFest attack where Yashako hid behind Renshin and he incompetently pretended to be suffering from brainfreeze in order to not have to protect her. With Josh telling Renshin to shake her hand through his ear piece and Shot shouting in the background to hug her, Renshin instead grabbed her hand and pulled her in for a hug which shortly ended after Yashako squealed out of shock.  
"I thought we could just go somewhere and talk for awhile" said Renshin awkwardly after the two had been walking silently for a while, albeit Shot and Josh talking loudly and munching on potato chips in his ear.  
"Oh, sounds good." Smiled Yashako shyly.  
"I got a smile for that..." whispered Renshin into a small microphone pinned under his jacket collar "no thanks from you two…"  
"HEY." Boomed an unidentifiable peaked and static cry from Renshin's ear "We're eating chips here, just get her somewhere nice and talk to her, then we'll help out!"  
"We're going now, don't talk so loud…" replied Renshin in a hushed voice, glancing over at Yashako who was looking perplexingly at him.

"Renshin and Yashako entered through the doors of The Club, Wingdom's 24-hour party complex. Music was blasting, crowds everywhere were chattering and dancing and glasses were loudly clanging into one another  
"Hey Renshin! It sounds very loud!" called Josh hrough the earpiece  
"We're at the club!" replied Renshin to his collar, but making it look like he was talking to Yashako.  
"WHAT!" erupted Shot  
"Yeah, I can see that." Said Yashako  
"Did I hear the word 'CLUB'!?" continued Shot "We can hardly hear what's going on, take her somewhere else! Get away and RETHINK what you're gonna do!"  
"Can I buy you a drink?" asked Renshin mishearing the order.  
"Sure." Replied Yashako, still nervous

"What on earth is happening?!" asked Josh from the passenger seat as he and Shot pulled up outside The Club in an inconspicuous white van  
"It's too loud in there!" replied Shot angrily "I can't make out what they're saying!"  
"I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE OUT." Burst Renshin through the speakers, splitting Shot and Josh's eardrums  
"Gaah! Damn it, he can't hear us right either!" shouted Shot unaware of the high volume of his voice "He's only getting small pieces!"  
"YOU GUYS HAVE SMALL PENISES." Exploded Renshin once more right up to his microphone.  
"Is there something wrong?" came Yashako's voice quite loudly.  
"She must be close beside him!" gasped Josh  
"You've been talking to yourself a lot this evening."  
"It's fine" said Renshin, before the microphone cut out and there was pure silence."  
"My god…" muttered Shot "He's gone rogue."  
"Don't worry," said Josh slapping a hand on Shot's shoulder "It sounds as if he got closer to Yashako. I have faith he can make Yashako happy this evening and make her a confident woman!"

"Your lips are as red and ripe as this succulent beverage." Said Renshin before guzzling back a glass of pinot noir.  
"S-Sorry?!" replied Yashako, quickly turning red in the face.  
"Your face is too..?" said Renshin uncertainly, trying last minute to make it a sly comment whilst winking and pouring a second glass for himself.  
"I've…I've never had wine before." Said Yashako bravely trying to change the subject and salvage the situation  
"There's a first time for everything..." drooled Renshin  
"MR. RENSHIN!" cried Yashako aghast "I don't like the way you're talking to me!" …Wait, what is… Is that a Val Shark?!" Renshin leaned back in his seat smoothly to look across the bar. Operation Restoration: Hero Dynamic had begun as Kazeru dressed as a Val Shark could be seen sneakily tip-toeing around in a comical and obvious fashion.  
"It is indeed." Replied Renshin dramatically "I will confront him, no brain-freeze will stop me this time!" Yashako watched wide-eyed in awe as Renshin stood up from his bar stool and staunched on over. "Kazeru..!" Renshin hissed, trying to get his attention. Kazeru spun around genuinely surprised "Let me beat you now so I can look good for Yashako!"  
"Where?!" cried Kazeru annoyingly  
"Just anywhere, as long as I look cool and Yashako can see."  
"No, where is Kazeru?!" Renshin was about to question him, but quickly noticed the Val Shark's long red ponytail.

"Oh yeah…" said Kazeru in the guild room a few days prior on a lazy afternoon "I don't think I ever told you that I have an evil twin too."  
"Oh really..?" yawned Renshin disinterested  
"Yeah, he's called Nazenu, he's like Anti-Laurie kinda except he's much, much cooler."

Renshin could've sworn Kazeru had made this story up to seem more exciting, but here Nazenu stood, arming himself in an aura Psychic Stilletos  
"You really work for the Val Sharks?" asked Renshin adjusting his Dulce Trachion Claw to his knuckles  
"Of course," said Nazenu now hovering a few inches above the ground "anything to serve my fair lady Jorondo." Renshin's heart tightened as he looked back at Yashako who was sitting further away at the bar watching them. 'Shit!' thought Renshin, why did Jorondo have to appear somewhere when he was on a date with someone else?  
"Uhh-" breathed Renshin loudly glancing over at Yashako before gushing "IfyouseeJorondocanyousaythatIamnotdatingher, just..uhhhh, likehelpinghergetconfidence!"  
"Pfft!"spat Nazenu "You think Jorondo cares? You think 'I' care?!"  
'Where did the real Kazeru go?' thought Renshin, 'he was meant to pretend to be a val shark, get beaten, and make me a hero!'  
"Yo, excuse me!" came the smooth deep voice of L.J, owner and Supersonic DJ of The Club "If you wanna fight, take it outside" he continued, fully ignoring the fact that one of the two was dressed in Val Shark attire.  
"What do you say? A 1v1?" said Renshin, weary of the party-goers surrounding them at the bar who were cautiously looking at Nazenu's stilettos, hoping it was just for show.  
"Of course," grinned Nazenu with craze flashing in his eyes. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

The two headed towards a door on the far side of the bar which led to a private event space which was not in use this evening. Yashako gasped as she saw the two leaving with their weapons. Yashako hadn't been having the best fun with Renshin and could've slipped out, but as she saw them going off for a certain battle she couldn't help but feel her Megaforce instinct take over. She rushed off behind them to cheer Renshin on and make sure that he was safe.


	13. Scuffle Round Back (Mega Op Pt4)

Lunar Antics – Scuffle Round Back

Out into the freezing late night air, Nazenu with his psychic stilettos and Renshin with his Dulce Trachion Claw prepared to battle. The outside space was scarce and littered with dead leaves from the four trees on each corner of the space. A drunk Aquila sat lazily on a park bench under one of the trees, un-attentive and eating plain slices of bread in an attempt to sober up. Pigeons were at his feet peaking the crumbs, one fully in his lap getting first servings.  
"Hey, you!" called Nazenu. Aquila's head rolled to face where the sound came from, but he wasn't quite mentally present. "Get out of here, we're about to battle!"  
"I am…outside." replied Aquila with realisation and through a stifled burp "They told me to sober up before going back in…I didn't get kicked out…AND I'M NOT DRUNK."  
"Fine, stay then." Said Nazenu bitterly  
"I'M NOT DRUNK." Bellowed Aquila once more, attempting to rise from his seat and frightening the pigeons away before collapsing back down and instantly falling fast asleep.  
"Pfft, he probably needed some sleep" said Renshin to himself with a smile, turning back to Nazenu. Renshin was terrified to see he was no longer there; In a panic he scouted the trees and the whole area but he was nowhere to be seen. Then at lightning speed one of the Psychic stilettos came spinning towards Renshin, but well-prepared for a sneaky ranged attack Renshin dived to his right, dodging the dagger. Popping his head out of one of the trees Nazenu smirked and with a flick of his fingers the flying knife glimmered purple, manipulated by Nazenu's order. Still diving out of the way, unable to shift his mid-air trajectory, the knife curved toward Renshin and with a clean hit pierced his chest. Renshin shrieked out in agony as his shoulder impacted the ground as he failed the landing. Gliding down from the tree, Nazenu cackled loudly

"That was easier than I thought it would be!" he said as he grinned menacingly. With an outstretched foot Nazenu turned Renshin onto his front, but without notice Renshin was still loaded with energy and leapt up, his claw outstretched and flaming. Taken by surprise Nazenu flew vertically upwards and with a violent thrust of his arm, all the remaining stilettos rained down on Renshin who darted around clutching his injured chest. The trees were scraped at the sides as Renshin weaved about the whole space, finally taking refuge behind the snoring Aquila. A rogue stiletto hailed down right into Aquila's thigh, waking him up in an enraged stupor.  
"OOOOOOOUUUAAAAAAAARGGHHH!" Renshin still hiding behind the bench, wide-eyed and light-headed on account of the blood loss didn't dare reveal himself – Aquila's problem now, he thought grimly. "WHO THREW THAT?!" slurred Aquila through pained and drunken blood-shot eyes. "KAZERU, YOU LIL' BITCH" Nazenu who had been watching blankly had halted the rotation of his stilletos which just dangled in the air.  
"I am not Kazeru, I am his evil-"  
"SHUUUTT UP." Blurted Aquila with a stagger from the bench and drawing his sacrifice reaper scythe from his back "I've-HIC-been meaning to yank that ponytail off and cellotape it to the guild bulletin board for a while now to show off my power…  
"My hair is RED!" cried Nazenu furiously "Kazeru's is BLUE! Urgh, this is bullshit, I don't have time for this…" spiralling both of his arms his stilettos soared over to Aquila who stumbed about in a drunken mess. As Aquila sauntered over to Nazenu, every single blade missed him completely – As Aquila didn't know what he was doing himself Nazenu couldn't read him and predict his movements  
"Wait! Get back!" cried Nazenu helplessly as Aquila brandished his scythe high above his head. Nazenu flapped his hands around pathetically, trying to send more stillettos out, however he had finally exhausted his supply of them which lay on the ground several metres out of his psychic range.  
"Ohh-haha-HIC-hahahaha, nice try!" gasped Aquila through hiccups "Now I'm gonna slice off that ponytail!"  
"No!" cried Nazenu "It's my power source, please no!" Aquila's eyes suddenly drooped to look very lacklustre, he wobbled overtop of Nazenu, losing grip of his scythe. Renshin shielded his eyes, he couldn't watch, Nazenu would get a counterattack and then he would be next! He expected to hear a large thud to the ground, but instead boomed the most massive burp and vomit projectile Renshin had ever heard, which shook the ground and made the bench he hid behind vibrate out of control. Renshin quickly opened his eyes and turned around to witness Aquila bent down in an arch to be right up in Nazenu's face – he had taken the full impact, waft and splatter of it. Renshin caught sight of the white of Nazenu's eyes – completely unconscious and mildly sick.  
"Whoa! Great way to beat him Aquila!" called Renshin rising from behind the bench, but it was too late for praise, Aquila had seemingly burped and spewed out the entire being out of his body and slowly keeled over beside Nazenu, equally unconscious.

Renshin watched on in shock, crisis averted from a genuine Val Shark assault. Renshin sighed away his tension, relaxing his shoulders.  
"Don't lower your guard yet, Ahohohoho!" came a shrill high pitch giggle. Leaping down from one of the tall trees encircling the outside venue space, came the one and only Jorondo; The Val Sharks' haughty beauty. Renshin was struck by Cupid's arrow as he could barely articulate a single sentence, let alone a word. "Well done on beating my cohort, I saw the whole thing!" Renshin remained unable to speak, and this was perhaps for the better as he would've pointed out she wasn't watching at all as he hadn't done anything "Nazenu and I were planning on a silent robbery of this club – No one ever robs a thriving club during prime business hours." Drawing a western holster 6-barrel revolver from her hip and closing one eye she aimed it straight to Renshin's head "just give the bartender a glance of this, get him to unload the cash without causing a scene, no harm to anyone." Renshin wasn't listening now as he himself was feeling like he could unload; he couldn't stop picturing Jorondo with a cowboy hat and looking alluring.  
"Ahohohoo!" shrieked Jorondo once more "Not saying anything? Well, it was nice meeting you but I'm afraid it's time for farewells!"  
"I LOVE YOU." Burst Renshin uncontrollably. Jorondo was taken aback, loosening the grip on her gun  
"w-Wait.." she said squinting her eyes "I know you…yeah, we met at that party I crashed." Renshin was ecstatic as he squealed quietly to himself – Jorondo was referring to the time he and Laurie attended Yashako's house party and Renshin, in a failed pickup attempt, fumbled onto the ground. "You can't seem to hold your own against anything." She continued, western holster in hand and once again straight at Renshin's head "it's not like you ruined that party for me or anything, it was a shit party to begin with."  
"Take that back!" Yashako herself burst out of the double doors leading to the outside courtyard looking positively fuming "It took me a long time to invite everyone to that party and I won't have anyone slander it! Or..Or..!" Yashako blushed and shyly held her hands close to her chest "Or ruin my date…" Renshin was swelling with pride, his charm was a success after all! Or at least he thought it was – Instead of saving Yashako from Kazeru disguised as a fake Val Shark, real Val Sharks had shown up and Yashako was the one doing the saving! Reverse Plan Hero!  
"What are you gonna do, Lil' missy?" sneered Jorondo changing her revolver's aim. Drawing a large, vicious looking hexemesser knife from her pocket, contrasting to the soft delicate nature of the wielder, Yashako clenched her teeth and squinted sinisterly  
"I'm going to wreck you." She said boldly.


	14. Final Confrontation (Mega Op Pt5)

Lunar Antics – Final Confrontation

Jorondo opened fire and at equal speed to the bullets Yashako threw her knife, splitting several bullets in two and disorienting their fired pathway. Yashako vanished in a blur and appeared behind Jorondo in midair kicking her in the head, square and savagely into the ground. The concrete and dirt splintered upward in a three-metre radius and Jorondo was annihilated in that single slam, her clothes ripped, her teeth bleeding and her hair dishevelled. Jorondo had been outmatched, and Yashako's overkill strength had seemingly come from nowhere.  
"Noooo!" cried Renshin as he ran into the ruins to be with Jorondo. Yashako landed with a soft tap and smiled cheekily at Renshin.  
"Thanks for bringing out my confident side." She said to him "Shall we continue our date somewhere…more private?"  
"You're heartless!" cried Renshin, tears forming in his eyes "How could you do this to an innocent, pure and gorgeous woman such as-" Slam.  
Renshin lay unconscious beside Jorondo, mentally and physically destroyed.  
"That's the last time I sign up for a blind date with a Lunar member…" grumbled Yashako wiping dirt from her dress and stepping out of the disintegrated ground formed by her foot. "Next time I'll choose someone myself…maybe…Dolores..?" Yashako left out the back entrance to the private function space thinking about her ideal partner.

…

"The Val Sharks couldn't have tried to attack at a better time then!" said Laurie gleefully through a mouthful of jam on toast to Renshin, Shot, Jordon and Aquila who sat opposite him. It was the morning after Operation Restoration and the five had come to Laurie's MyRoom for breakfast and a mission debrief; or just breakfast in Aquila's case. "I'm still a little confused on the details, but mission accomplished! Good job Renshin, taking out both Jorondo and that Kazeru-looking guy…Nazenu was it?"  
"Yes, that's right, and thank you Laurie" said Renshin awkwardly whilst glancing over at the very hungover Aquila  
"We found Aquila unconscious" said Josh casually sprinkling pepper onto his eggs "We had to take a look around The Club for Renshin and Kazeru after we weren't contacted for an hour, and Aquila was just lying in the outside private event area, Renshin too but very badly injured. No sign of Nazenu and Jorondo…  
"So Renshin beat both Jorondo and that Nazenu then, huh?" asked Shot suspiciously with a mug of hot cocoa.  
"Yes, that's how it went down." Said Josh "but from their absence they must've been rescued just before we arrived, you saw the courtyard too, Shot"  
"Well, I heard from L.J and a few other people I interrogated afterward that Yashako herself whooped Jorondo AND Renshin with next to no effort." Renshin had been sneakily shuffling away to the corner of his seat. "They all saw it from inside the club, also Aquila beat that Kazeru-looking guy Nazenu while Renshin cowered in fear after a single non-lethal hit." Laurie raised an eyebrow  
"If that's all true then…Renshin are you lying…Uhhh" Renshin had vanished from the table and was nowhere to be seen in Laurie's room; also the cereal was missing.  
"Well…The point is Yashako is much more confident now I hope, and that's what Red Bull wanted so our alliance can continue!"  
"I BEAT KAZERU?!" bellowed Aquila reacting incredibly slowly  
"No, an evil twin of him or something" said Laurie taking a sip of coffee moodily "I'm glad the real Kazeru didn't show up to pretend to be a Val Shark, that's what started this mess to begin with!"  
"Exactly!" exclaimed Josh whilst putting bacon onto Laurie's plate in an attempt to calm him down "It was Kazeru's idea anyway…By the way where is he? We never saw him this whole time."  
"I'll tell you what happened!" came the cracked voice of Kazeru, who approached the group in tattered clothes, blood in his hair and a limp in his walk "Some Val Sharks kidnapped me and tried to sabotage the operation! They sent in Nazenu to ruin everything and kill Renshin and Yashako!"  
"Are you sure?" said Laurie curiously munching on bacon "Are you sure Nazenu wasn't just you all along…?"  
The silence was deadly.  
"WELL, Renshin and Yashako were safe in the end," he continued "there's no more loose ends to tie up so can we stop this stupid 'ARC' or whatever this has become so I can write something new?" and Manteppp agreed so the whole guild had a celebration party with the Megaforce with cake, snacks, meat and all sorts. Red Bull and Laurie shared a pint cheerfully and laughed loudly, Renshin apologised to Yashako who shrugged him off to return to talking to Dolores, her guest to the celebration party much to Renshin's shock. Kenshiro and Fabrico meditating peacefully to themselves, but being irritated by the others presence and Kazeru, Shot and Josh had an unplanned eating contest and excitedly stuffed their faces with warm bread, beef, strawberry pudding, soup, chicken drumsticks and much more all at the same time. The rest of the guild were all enjoying themselves to the fullest, even Aquila who had recovered slightly but was still incredibly tired.

When everyone had reached a level of tiredness nowhere near as bad as Aquila's they gradually headed off to bed one by one and Gillman took the Megaforce crew home by helicopter, with the exception of Mike who had brought a pump-up mattress and sleeping bag and wanted to stay the night. It had been a great Festival, Operation and Party, and with no doubt the whole affair had brought the two organisations of Megaforce and Lunar even closer together.

The End


	15. Dr Diaper's Daily Assistant

"What are you doing zoning out over there!" squeaked the bossy intellectual baby Dr Diaper "I said hand me the wrench!" Floof snapped out of his stupor and handed him the wrench  
"Sorry…" he muttered; Floof was braindead bored, it was a sunny day and surely everyone in the guild would be taking advantage of that with friendly GAT battles or missions on Megaforce's behalf who were now on very good terms with Lunar having turning Yashako into a masterful fighter and from David and Razz still nowhere to be seen.

And yet, what was Floof doing? Passing the odd tool to Dr Diaper and not actually putting in any technical input?  
"Why me?!" exclaimed Floof to Laurie a few hours prior in the guild room  
"Because it's high time you did us all a solid," said Laurie attempting to bargain whilst lounging in a deck chair with a banana in hand.  
"I've drawn pictures of you and the guildies, I participated in a tournament, Laurie, I've done stuff! Why not let Aquila help Dr Diaper instead," Floof cried pointing over to Aquila by one of the big guild trees who was in a deep sleep and still rather hungover."he hasn't done anything lately except get drunk in the previous chapters!"  
"Chapters…?" murmured Laurie "Well…okay, you might be right – but it's already arranged, Dr Diaper is expecting you."  
"Oh come on!" Floof continued, irritatingly "Just swap us!"  
"Argh! That's enough" shouted Laurie indefinitely tossing down his banana peel. "My word is final."  
And that was that.

Floof had no idea why Dr Diaper had suddenly requested Lunar's assistance in helping upgrade his Mix 54 Machine  
"Your accthessorys alwayths need upgrading!" babbled the baby through his giant pacifier "Tho doeth my machine! Now get me my threwdriver!" Floof passed Dr Diaper a screwdriver without saying a word "No thtupid! The threwdriver!" Diaper cried angrily pointing at a strange contraption with a mechanical hand attached to it. Floof stared out the window longingly whilst Dr Diaper's device threw hammers at a rogue nail. The grass was green and lush, daisies and daffodils scattered the fields outside in a glimmer of bright yellow and right in the middle of it, walking briskly up to the window was fellow guild member Josh.

Ironclad with armor and a metallic visor Josh looked intimidating and must be here for a reason. Before Floof could awkwardly utter 'hello' so Josh could hear but Dr Diaper couldn't, Josh had drawn his gigantic Prussian Kaiser axe and was swinging it backward and charging up a blow  
"G-GET DOWN!" screamed Floof in shock as he tackled Dr Diaper to the floor.  
"Ow! What are you doing to me!" cried Diaper before catching a scarce glimpse of the armored figure slamming down a fully charged strike at the window and surrounding wall in an explosion of fire and debris.

As the dust and smoke from the blazing axe ceased Josh spoke  
"I'm here to get you outta here." and gave Floof a hand  
"You destroyed my wall!" cried Dr Diaper through tears  
"Get Laurie to pay and fix it." smirked Josh  
"or get him to fix it himself." Added Floof spitefully  
"Tho, you're leaving" said Dr Diaper avoiding eye contact "I don'th need you anyway… A machine can do your job, I have one for it already."  
"Why even get a person to help you then?!" asked Floof, shocked at the unnecessary meaning of his assistance.  
"I juth…I juth need company" whimpered Dr Diaper through tears, now rolling off his cheeks. Floof and Josh felt bad for the little guy, he was only a baby after all, and alone working in the lab all the time.  
"I'm sorry, Dr Diaper." Said Floof "But if you want friends you should try being nicer – especially to people helping you or doing you a favour!" Dr Diaper looked up tearfully  
"C'mon…" said Josh with a sigh, taking off his metallic visor and revealing his wide friendly eyes "Let's all go get a drink."  
"Oh, no thanks" said Floof remembering the state of Aquila this morning. "I don't think Dr Diaper would be allowed in anyway…" he added with a whisper so only Josh could hear.  
"I meant we could get a milk." Josh replied. Floof's eyes lit up  
"Oooo! Yes!" he cried "The Milk Bar at the Wharf Bay Beach has been completely done up and reopened! Let's go there, some guildies might've already headed over to the beach too." And so with Dr Diaper in tow, Josh and Floof helped soften him down and relax with a nice glass of milk and a refreshing day at the beach.


	16. Ice Cream: REBORN! (Ice Cream Pt1)

Unbeknownst to the guild Laurie had been renovating the Secret Wharf Bay's Ice Cream Shack. Ever since the crisis with Anti-Laurie it had been an even bigger ruin than it originally was; But Laurie got in there quick hiring various Megaforce members to ait with construction. It gave Laurie a slight satisfaction hiring Megaforce members for a 'mission' instead of the other way around as was usually the case. Upon it's reveal Laurie sent out a mass invitation to the guild to come on down and try the new ice creams, scientifically enhanced in flavour by Fabrico for maximum deliciousness. Gillman as Heli-Transporter was working overtime taking people from the Lunar guild room overtop of the Wharf and over the to the Golden Bay – Even Aquila who couldn't wait to eat ice cream was requested to help with transport despite being quite fresh to flying a helicopter.

When the majority of the people had arrived Funneh wearing a straw boater and cherry pink blazer served up the ice creams for everyone to dig in. Renshin went straight for the cookies and cream, Laurie for the strawberry yogurt and Original, who had been sorely losing a lot of battles recently sat up at the bar and said;  
"Get me a rum…"  
"We only have rum and raisin." Replied Funneh scooping chocolate ice cream into a bowl for Pip who despite his recent name change was still a dog.  
"Well then it better be strong rum!" cried Original snatching up the scooper and helping himself.  
"Um…" said Kiro popping up at the bar nervously  
"Yoooo Kiro, what is it?" said Funneh, allowing Original to shovel ice cream directly into his mouth.  
"Spot…I mean Pip is having a problem of some sort." Sure enough Pip was shaking about on the floor uncontrollably  
"What?!" gasped Funneh "Did something go wrong with the recipe?! WHO POISONED THIS?!"  
"Oh, did you give him chocolate?" said Laurie casually pointing and slopping ice cream across his face. "Dogs can't tolerate chocolate, he needs medical attention."  
"Get that scooper ready!" cried Aquila gleefully as he burst in through the door "Because I am finished flying the helicopter for the day and I- hey, what's wrong with him?" Aquila had only just noticed the writhing Pip right by his foot.  
"You're not done yet," said Laurie laying down his spoon seriously "Please get Pip back to the guildroom for some medical attention."  
"Pff, I don't care" scoffed Aquila approaching the bar for some cookie dough ice cream.  
"Just grab yourself a tub and have the ice cream while you go! Bargained Laurie "Pip might die! C'mon!"  
"Do you know how hard it is to fly a helicopter?" said Aquila taking a mouthful of ice cream "besides, I brought my force remover with me, I can cure him with that." Out of a tiny pocket from Aquila's jeans thudded the giant medical contraption with vials of fluid and needles ready to become projectiles at the pull of a trigger.  
"YOU'RE NOT USING THAT!" roared Renshin with conviction and rising from his bar stool  
"Why not?!" said Aquila flicking ice cream in Renshin's direction.  
"Whether it be crippling my attacks or trying to aid me on the same team, but edging me instead – you have NEVER been helpful with that weapon!"  
"It's true," said Funneh adjusting his straw boater and adding his two cents "It heals you, but it forces you to sleep for awhile…"  
"Hey Laurie," piped up Kiro "Why not get Funneh to help somehow, he won the Fill-In Doctor Battle we organised, right?"  
"No, no, you're thinking of Skepy." Said Laurie  
"Yeah," replied Funneh "I'm the Whip Mast-"  
"Okay, that's enough Funneh."  
"Dominatr-"  
"That's enough Funneh!"  
"So it's decided, I'm using the Force Remover." Said Aquila ditching the ice cream and drawing his weapon  
"Don't you dare!" shouted Renshin "If you fire the wrong needle you mind send Pip over the edge!"  
"Psssh, how am I supposed to edge him, we're inside."  
"No! I mean KILL him!"  
"Just lemme shoot a few needles…"  
"Why don't you ever listen! Everyone is saying don't fire!"  
"He'll just go to sleep and he'll wake up again"  
"THIS is why you were kicked out of the Bunny Renegades!"  
"OH, fuck! That is LOW, maybe I should fire needles at you instead!"  
" **YOU GUYS SHUT UP**." Laurie's outcry reverberated throughout the shop. Pip's breathing could be heard faintly, very fast and sharp "Stop bickering, Pip is in danger and what we need right now is a proper doctor."  
"Did someone say 'Doctor?!'" with a clang from the far side of the room a spoon was dropped into a sundae glass which was murky from dried up cream and milk – whoever this was they had seemingly been drinking very slowly, or worse had been there for an extended period. 


	17. Medical Profethional (Ice Cream Pt2)

With the spoon out of his mouth and his pacifier back in place, the usual voice of Doctor Diaper returned;  
"THO-" he spat "you guyth need a qualified doctor? Lucky I'm here!"  
"But why are you here?" Laurie asked with contained resentment "I thought I sent Floof to help you with repairs or something."  
"Thath right!" grinned Dr Diaper leaving his seat and showing his short baby-height "but we dethided to come here inthtead." Laurie looked over to the far side of the room to Floof and Josh who sipped their milkshakes through straws and looked as if they bitterly regretted their decision, for they had learnt 'once a bossy baby, always a bossy baby.'  
"We're not gonna let you do anything to him" said Laurie indicating towards Pip "You may be a doctor but you're still a baby, it's risky."  
"Uhh, Laurie" muttered Kironaka "Original's out cold – literally." An ice cream overdose had rendered Original unconscious; whether from the sickly sweet "cream" from the ice cream or from alcohol poisoning from the miniscule portions of rum that had added up nobody knew. "Oh and Pip's stopped breathing." With dull half-opened eyes and a limp tongue poking out Pip was motionless and could only be described as "a little bit dead."  
"Time ith of the ethenth!" cried Dr Diaper pulling out a small green medical bag "You there, ith that a forth remover?"  
"Huh," grunted Aquila absent-mindedly still with the contraption in his hands "No this is a force remover."  
"Forth remover! Yeah! Thath what a thaid!"  
"Is this going where I think it's going…" mumbled Renshin who was fuming.  
"We can uthe that! Come here and follow my inthtructhions! I'll mikth up thome chemicalth and create a candy-loving bacteria that should counter-act the chocolate in hith body."  
"And with the force remover Aquila can administrate it?" asked Laurie who gathered around the others by Pip and Original.  
"Yeth," replied Dr. Diaper pulling out several vials of liquid ready for mixing "Right, leth begin."  
"What about Original!" cried Kiro who was now progressively worried.  
"Oh he'th juth coma'd out. Give him thome thleeping therum and he'll recover quickly." Aquila aimed the force remover at Original;  
"Oh whoops" he said before firing the wrong needle at Original  
"That was on purpose!" cried Renshin  
"So deliberate!" yellow Kiro equally shocked  
"Cool." Grinned Laurie dumbfounded as Original's legs glowed red with electrical currents then returned to normal.  
"When he wakes up he won't be able to walk." Said Aquila as if telling a funny joke  
"He knew exactly what was going to happen, he basically admitted it!" cried Renshin  
"Don't mean to interrupt you guys" said Funneh from behind the counter "but Pip hasn't been breathing for quite some time now." He then resumed scooping ice cream to other guildies who hadn't bothered to involve themselves despite a life being at stake.  
"Okay that's enough goofing around." Said Aquila light-heartedly giving Kiro a wink  
"Joking?!" cried Renshin more hysterically than ever "These are life and death matters! Holy crap! Get it togethe-"  
"Whoops." Cut-in Aquila before firing the same leg-paralysing serum at Pip.

The group was silent as the red sparks flickered then ceased around Pip's legs. Renshin was beyond furious by this point and couldn't articulate a single word properly.  
"Have a snickers, bro." said Funneh sliding a tub of snickers ice cream across the counter to Aquila "You're not you when you're hungry." With his free hand Aquila desperately attacked the ice cream with a newly acquired spook and wolfed it down. "Better?" asked Funneh  
"Better." Sighed Aquila resting his spoon down "Quick Diaper, give me the chocolate antidote."  
"That's it?" said Renshin furrowing his eyebrows "Aquila just wanted ice cream so bad that he was acting up?"  
"Not difficult to understand." Said Kiro nodding  
"I'm like that too if I don't get a bit of sugar in me" chuckled Laurie. The bright yellow serum was passed over from Dr Diaper to Aquila. Renshin watched angrily as Aquila finally loaded the force remover with the right vial and held his finger at the correct trigger  
"All right, here goes…" said Aquila as he carefully aimed the device "10…9…8…"  
"PIP'S DEAD, JUST SHOOT!" roared Renshin as he forced Aquila's hand to pull the trigger. A needle shot out and pierced Pip's chest  
"GAAAAH" he yelped waking suddenly "My heart is on fire!" his body thrashed about except for his legs  
"Urgh, what's all the noise…" came a sleepy Original's voice "Hey, why can't I feel my- I can't move my legs!"  
"Yeah, Aquila's responsible for that," grinned Funneh looking a little tired "You guys want more ice cream?"  
"Urrrrg…No more for me thanks" groaned Original lying back down and clapping a hand over his eyes  
"I'll have some!" said Pip cheerfully raising his arms up to the counter "chocolate please!"  
"NOOOOOO!" boomed the entire ice cream shack.

"Hey Aquila," snarled Renshin sternly "have another snickers, bro." he flicked the top of his full spoon of ice cream like a slingshot and a perfect orb of snickers ice cream fired at Aquila's cheek  
"OH! Bastard!" cried Aquila wiping his cheeky vigorously "Hey! Have some more of your flakes of shit cookies and cream!"  
"Ice cream fight!" giggled Kiro dashing over to Floof and Josh and thrusting their heads into their own ice cream tubs  
"WHAT DID I EVEN DOOOO!" moaned a very grumpy Floof. As spoonfuls of ice cream hailed down all over the shack with Funneh screaming for cease fire ("I have to clean all this up later, OI!") Laurie watched on with arms folded and a wide grin sprawled across his face.  
"You're welcome" said Dr. Diaper sassily as he walked on by with a cone of vanilla ice cream towards the exit  
"Thanks a lot, Doctor. Really, thank you" said Laurie  
"Hmm, I wath going to hire the Megaforth but I gueth Lunar oweth me a favour now…" said Doctor Diaper as he stopped just beside the door  
"Well, what do you need?" asked Laurie.  
"I won't go into detail but I've uncovered a new dungeon underneath Wingdom and I need thomeone to go and ekthplore it. Could be thome valuble rethourtheth or ancient technology down there." Laurie raised an eyebrow sceptically  
"That sounds like quite a difficult mission for merely returning a favour for saving a guildie – You should've just done it because you knew what to do as a Doctor!" The little baby smirked behind his massive pacifier  
"Whatever we find down there you and your guildies can keep. There ith only one thing in the whole dungeon that I want."  
"Which is?" Dr. Diaper resumed his walk and headed toward the door  
"Never you mind, come and thee me when you're ready to take on the dungeon."

With ice creams of all colours and flavours soaring and happy guildies in the midst of a light-hearted battle Laurie watched Dr. Diaper go; what would they find in this mysterious dungeon and what was the single thing that he wanted? As Dr. Diaper touched the doorknob he was knocked backwards as someone on the other side kicked it so hard the door was torn clean off of it's hinges and Diaper was sent flying. Gosei the cat stood there grinning insanely and holding an empty barrel of 20 litres worth of ice cream  
"WAT I MISS?!"


	18. Draw Mechanics

Aquila had always wondered how the lucky draws worked. How they were always so full that you couldn't see the exact numbers of what colour balls there were, or how they were restocked because no one had ever seen this happen. After a complete 72 hour stakeout for three days straight Aquila's eyes were like wax, his lips chapped and his muscles constricted. He'd seen several attempts at all of the draws but tens of thousands at the pink Win draw which had a new limited edition accessory up for grabs.  
"There is no way that tiny draw can fit that many balls." snapped Aquila insanely to no one. He had finally cracked and lost his mind as he withdrew his gigantic Sacrifice Reaper Scythe. "I'll smash it up and the secrets should pour out!"  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you…" came a cool calculated voice from Aquila's shoulder . He turned to his left but no one was there "Other shoulder," mocked the voice who had moved since the first time. Mokoalw stood to the right side of him with his arms folded and a knowing smile. His slit-like eyes hiding his eye-colour and true expression always disturbed some of the guildies or made them very curious, but to Aquila he couldn't care less about that.  
"How long were you behind me?" asked Aquila simply to make conversation but not really caring.  
"Not long." Replied Moko vaguely "But I've seen you here for the past three days. Trying to figure out the draws, I presume?"  
"How did you know?!" quipped Aquila suddenly  
"Because Laurie once requested me to do the same thing on account of an Aquamarine blunder." Aquila shifted his attention back to the draws  
"How long did it take you to figure out?" he asked while not looking at Moko "Not because I want to know or anything but just because…" Aquila trailed off.  
"Not long." Said Moko as vaguely as before.  
"Hey! C'mon just tell me!" cried Aquila spinning around and losing his cool "I mean uh, well if you don't want to tell me then I'll…" Aquila trailed off.  
"it took me three days if you must know" he answered "Oh, hey, that's as long as you've taken so far..!" Moko's false surprise wasn't fooling Aquila, he knew where this was going "If you take any longer then we could say I've beaten you, right?" If it was a competition Moko wanted then a competition he'd get.

Aquila looked back at the draws blankly where he saw Shadow-kin furiously shouting as dozens of tomahawks poured out of a small blue ball – how they fit inside there was anyone's guess, perhaps the same way as how the balls fit into the draw..?  
"Do you need a hint?" said Moko. Gosei could soon be seen depositing all of his Win at a rapid pace into the pink draws and Funneh watching in awe. As balls filed out Gosei paid no attention to them and raced on. Aquila's attention focused onto the centre of the machine where the quantity of balls was unaffected as always. How was it stocking itself?  
"You need to use your imagination with this one" said Moko grinning "think outside the box." Was this the hint?  
"Shut up Moko I'm thinking…" grumbled Aquila in response. Kathy was busy talking to customers and wandering about the Prime Market, surely she had nothing to do with the draws refilling. Maybe they all restocked the same way and therefore were connected by something in common. Then suddenly it hit him like a bag of bricks; If only he hadn't focused so hard on the very middle of the draw, all the people and things surrounding it or how the balls looked unchanged he would've seen it sooner  
"Those four prongs." said Aquila scratching his chin. "What exactly is underneath these draws, or under the Prime Market…"  
"Well…" said Moko in an impressed tone "Rou, the Dojo robot who can be programmed to fight in certain ways or to be a test dummy can actually be programmed to sort lucky draw balls. A conveyor belt takes- Actually…I can show you the whole mechanics behind the draws if you like?"  
"No thanks," said Aquila standing up and rubbing his eyes "I don't even want to know anymore, and I'm really tired."

'Sometimes a mystery is more appealing in the long run' thought Aquila as he walked down the escalator and headed away from the draws  
"I thought you wanted to know! You've been here three days!" called Moko down from the balcony. Yawning and stretching Aquila said nothing, but once out of earshot he mumbled aloud to himself  
"I'm sure I can use my imagination."


	19. Gosei's Picnic

_**A few weeks earlier…**_

Floof was set for a lazy day in the guild room and possibly designing a new skin outfit for himself, however his plans were quickly put to a halt by Gosei the cat rushing past him, bawling his eyes out and moaning deeply out of sadness. This was very out of the ordinary for Floof who had never seen a cat cry before – and doubted if anyone had. Floof turned back in the direction Gosei had come from; Laurie could be seen strolling suspiciously away from where Gosei had been  
"Oi!" called Floof "Laurie, where do you think you're going!"  
"Urgh, leave it Floof." Groaned Laurie who continued walking without turning around in the slightest "This is just between me and Gosei."  
"I don't think so!" cried Floof dashing up and gripping Laurie's shoulder to spin him around. Laurie winced as the ironclad fingers poked at his collar bone. "Making another guild member cry? That's not very…Huh?" Laurie's face was equally sad, glassy eyes and a shivering lip "You're crying too!? It wasn't my grip was it? C'mon talk to me."  
"Gosei offered free food for me and some of the guildies – he's gonna have a picnic." Floof's sympathy towards Laurie dropped in a flash;  
"Where was my invite."  
"but I had to turn him down!"  
"Yeah, but where was my invite…Wait, why?" Laurie looked regrettably toward the ground, like a vicious poison had spread across the guild and wiped out everyone he knew.  
"He…He wanted to have the picnic on a mountain top."  
"PFFT!" spat Floof "Well that sounds perfectly fine!"  
"GREAT AVYON!"

Floof trembled at the very hearing of the word. He had heard loads of horror stories about it – It's overpopulation of fighters looking for an easy kill by swatting someone off the edge several times until they didn't come back up, then claiming their victory as "skill." This alone was enough to frighten Josh, but the thought of trying to have a peaceful picnic in that setting was inconceivable.  
"Sooo Gosei was crying because you didn't wanna go along with him?" asked Floof.  
"Yeah, and I was..." Laurie paused "wasn't crying but…because I'll miss out on free food."  
"Laurie, just don't worry about it. They're not gonna get any peace at the end of the day. Maybe Gosei just didn't know or something." Laurie bitterly ignored eye contact with Floof.  
"Hey, c'mon, I know what'll cheer you right up – BOOZE. It's nearly New Year's after all, so let's celebrate. I know a great place in the top right of the Prime Market."  
"They don't sell alcohol in the Prime Market…" replied Laurie confusingly "It's too busy, you'd have to go down a side street or something for that."  
"Nope, they have a sign out front advertising red wine and everything."  
"Aren't you underage?"  
"You're not."  
"Oh, okay"  
"Let's go!" and with a spring in his step Floof lead the slightly cheered up Laurie out of the Guild Room to get a tasty beverage.

BUT MEANWHILE,

"Deep fried chicken drumsticks! Sticky Buns! Fruit Salad! Sausage Rolls! Lasagne!" Gosei's boasting was endless, he had stocked up so much WIN from battles and missions that he felt like doing a nice thing for everyone before Christmas "And- perfect and ripe for the season!- A holiday ham!" Before the group of drooling guildies could feast their hungry eyes on the ham a strong kick from a passer-byer had booted the ham right off the edge of the mountain  
"LMAO, noob" spouted the random dull-faced teen who had disrupted the introduction  
"No ganging!' called another random fighter who trampled all over the fruit salad in chase.  
"I one-hit killed that guy though, it wasn't gang cause I wasn't fighting uuou.  
"THAT 'GUY' WAS MY HAM!' roared guild member Aquila who had attended the picnic  
" _OUR_ ham!" corrected Gosei "It's fine it's fine, we have loads more fo-"  
"Seriously, that whole damn ham is gone now – I'm gonna teach that asshole a lesson" Aquila inexplicably rolled up his sleeves, drew his Sacrifice Reaper and gave chase to the two delinquents who had been battling close by  
"Better make it a 2v2, Aquila!" called after Original who picked up his Alastor's Rage blade and tagged behind "Otherwise they'll keep complaining"  
"Noooo guys don't worry ab-" the entire tray of eight sausage rolls scattered over the cliff edge as another random fighter kicked it aside  
"OMG, did anyone see that?! I killed 8 guys in one hit?! Did anyone see that..? Hello?"  
Rising from sitting on the picnic blanket Gosei unleashed a massive uppercut onto the chin of the random fighter who rebounded upward and fell over the edge of Great Avyon.  
"You bastards ruined my picnic for the last time! I spent good money on all of this! ALL of my win!"  
"It's fine, Gosei" said Kironaka calmly who was still sitting cross legged in front of an empty plate "You can treat us to a Christmas surprise another time"  
"D-Did you just eat all the fried chicken…?" muttered Gosei curiously.  
"You can treat us to a Christmas surprise another time" smiled Kiro ignoring the question completely. All the other guildies had scattered off now to join in on battles and had completely forgotten about the prospect of food – they would come to regret it later. Gosei began packing his well-prepared treats back into a wicker basket  
"Well I can't do another picnic, I don't have enough money to get this much food again." He said sadly  
"Why not do an event?" replied Kironaka who was Lunar's professional at all things Event-related  
"Kiro, I can't get cres or anything for something like that."  
"You don't have to – It's just fun for everyone to get together and battle. Look around, that's what everyone seemed to gravitate toward when they got here.

And with that, when Christmas got even closer Gosei hosted a Christmas Extravaganza event, which Laurie yet again did not attend because he was on holiday – both parties cried once more.


	20. New Threads (Armored Pt1)

Laurie wanted some new threads, it wasn't because hiss blue and white striped shirt, jeans and wooden sandals were bad or anything, he just felt like it was time for a little change. However he was in a bit of a pickle, at one point in the past he had seemingly worn every type of outfit before; from formal to armoured, in a robe or completely naked if not for a pair of underpants. The only way he could get something different would be to wear something drastic and brand new.

"I see you have the racoon pretty costume accessory.." spoke Josh thoughtfully whilst stroking a non-existent beard upon his chin.  
"Yeah, but I don't use it much…" replied Laurie confusingly. He had just brought together Renshin and Josh who he admired for making very diverse outfits in the past and requested a new outfit from either of them. "What are you suggesting?" he continued "That I don't need a new outfit and I just wear this all day instead of something? How will I use other accessories?"  
"It'd be best with the accessory but you could use it with anything…" said Josh grinning to himself at his idea "I would make a Metal Racoon. Racoon helmet the armored all over. Could be the armor design or a robot – a Robot Racoon."  
"That's ridiculous!" burst Laurie with a scoff "Why does it have to be a racoon? Are you implying racoons are important to me or something?"  
"Spirit animal…!" mumbled Renshin in an excited murmur  
"You said you wanted something different!" exclaimed the offended Josh "And that hasn't been done before!  
"Well make it a cool animal then, not just one to match an accessory. What about a red fox? That's my favourite animal – or a Lion I like those too."  
"You want Fox armor then?"  
"No."  
"Why even give me other suggestions then, Laurie?!"  
"I just don't want another armored skin is all! ..Wait, where'd Renshin go?" Renshin had mysteriously vanished whilst Josh and Laurie squabbled and had contributed very little to the conversation regardless. Josh sighed and shrugged "Well I'm gonna head off, got some skins of my own to make that I know exactly what I want."  
"Wait!" beckoned Laurie "You still haven't helped me come up with an idea!" Josh continued down the Guild room steps and flicked his hand back loosely  
"I'll make whatever – you just give me the basis for it, all right?" Laurie couldn't argue with that logic, and with that said his farewells.

Laurie was quite busy over the next few days with redecorating his room, taking on some special Megaforce missions and re-inviting old guild members who had left the guild then changed their minds and wanted to come back – Lots of taxing stuff. But when he was finally free for an obscurely late hour when he should be going to bed he organised a meet up once again with Renshin and Josh to come up with skin ideas. Josh had sounded grumpy over the phone and Laurie was worried about meeting up face to face now – He knew Josh had explicitly told him to come up with his own idea, he must be mad about that. But Laurie had no choice, he just couldn't think of anything at all. Laurie stood under the eastern tree in the guildroom waiting for the two to arrive, but it was dark and motionless with an ominous feeling in the air. A deserted guildroom wasn't that uncommon, especially at this hour.  
'What's ominous about it?' thought Laurie 'is it really deserted…or is there something…?'  
 _ **CLANG!  
**_ A loud metallic noise from the eastern-most platform directly behind Laurie boomed out of nowhere. Reacting instantly Laurie hid behind the tree so as not to be seen by the mystery invader.  
 _ **CLANG!  
**_ A second loud noise boomed from the same direction. Laurie peeked out quietly to see who had arrived  
"Successfully breached the Lunar Guildroom." Said a woman's voice from inside a bright pink spacesuit. She was tapping where her ear would be through her pink helmet and black visor "Thanks for the dropoff, Red."  
"Are you sure it's deserted?" said the maker of the second loud clang, a taller man in an identical blue spacesuit.  
"Well we don't know for certain," replied the woman "but this hour is usually never busy in general, right?"

The Spacesuits, the bright colours, Laurie knew exactly who these people were – The Val Omusa Unit, formerly a rogue and small organisation known as "The Omusa Unit" but had since been bought out by the Val Sharks and now serving under them. Laurie recalled a story he heard once the only Fabrico, familiar with advanced space technology and weaponry had defeated the members of the Omusa unit,  
"Individually, of course" he had added "All at once is impossible – and they have a secret battle tactic when they're all together too…"  
"Why do we have to do this?" said the Pink Omusa's whiny voice pulling Laurie back into the present "We don't even get to kill anyone."  
"Our orders are to destroy Lunar's base of operations – without a guildroom bigger groups of guild members can never meet up privately." Said Blue Omusa  
"Yeah, I already knew that," replied Pink Omusa with a heavy dose of sassiness "I meant why do we have to follow orders?"  
"Well the pay and instruction is coming from that black haired guy who looks like Laurie Moon – the guild leader of Lunar right?"  
'My Anti?!' thought Laurie stifiling a gasp out loud. Anti-Laurie was a doppleganger who Laurie and some Lunar members encountered at a derelict beach shack who had possessed Lunar members and declared to destroy the guild from the inside. 'He's resurfaced! Of course he's behind the attack!'  
"But he would've got his orders from Ponse," continued Blue Omusa wistfully "Ponse from that Masked guy or Colonel Murder and either of those from the top man in charge: Dangerous Bob, right?" Laurie couldn't believe how far back this order of Lunar's guildroom being blown up went, and how small Anti-Laurie's role was in the whole organisation of the Val Sharks.  
"True…" muttered Omusa Pink spitefully "Well, I just hate serving the Val Sharks, why can't we be a free unit again?" Omusa Blue's helmet covered his face, but the slow turn of his head toward Omusa Pink portrayed discontent.  
"You know why, Black sold our expertise to them in order for constant expenses so we can maintain…" Blue stopped and looked directly at Laurie who jumped out of his skin and hid well behind the tree. "I've been saying too much, Pink. We have a witness. My scanner detects a lifeform behind that tree." Laurie's heart was racing now  
"Just shoot at it and set it on fire or something, we're destroying the base anyway." Said Omusa Pink casually  
"S-Stop!" cried Laurie unwillingly revealing himself with arms held high in surrender  
"WELL, WELL, WELL!" screeched Pink Omusa in a sickly sweet voice all of a sudden "If it isn't Mr. Moon!"  
"Enough with the voice…" muttered Blue Omusa "You always do that stupid voice around other people, that's not even how you normally sound."  
"It's my villain voice..!" hissed Pink Omusa sounding suspiciously like she did earlier "It strikes fear into the enemy..!"  
"It strikes fear into me." Moaned Blue Omusa. "Uh oh, we lost him." Learning from Renshin's disappearance the other day when he and Josh were squabbling Laurie had equally taking the opportunity to vanish from view.  
"Wh-Where did he go?!" whined Pink Omusa  
"How should I know?"  
"This is all your fault!"  
"No! What! No it's yours! That stupid voice got me distracted!" Pink and Blue Omusa advanced cautiously on the tree, they couldn't detect any life from around it on their scanners. Blue Omusa raised his laser gun and the two orbited around the base of the tree. Truth be it, Laurie wasn't far at all, he was hidden inside the leaves atop the tree with his hand pressed hard against his mouth. If only the Omusas had looked up whilst scanning they would have noticed him. Where were Josh and Renshin who were supposed to be here not five minutes ago? It wouldn't be long now until the Omusa's spotted him, he was vulnerable, a target waiting to be shot at up in the tree. Holding his breath he closed his eyes terrified and unwilling. If he just closed his eyes then he couldn't see anything and nothing would happen...That's how it works right?


	21. Fire & Ice (Armored Pt2)

With Omusa Pink and Blue prowling around below, Laurie clung for dear life silently atop the tree. He couldn't take them both on at the same time surely, even Fabrico had struggled to beat all of Omusa Unit's members one-on-one on separate occasions. But perhaps he could take them both out with a single well-prepared surprise attack? With the magic of spawning weapons when not in combat that all inhabitants of Wingdom possessed, Laurie spawned the immaculate golden and blue blade worth of his namesake – The Munechika: Moon Blade. Unsheathing it from it's scabbard silently Laurie planned his lethal assault to end both Omusa members simultaneously. As the Omusa confusingly pondered around the tree, amazingly still not looking up, Laurie reached his plan of attack. He quietly leapt off the tree, high into the air, timed perfectly with Blue and Pink Omusa at each side of the tree and then fell with such force behind his swing that he sliced the tree vertically right down the middle of it's trunk – splitting it perfectly into two. Before the Omusa's could even react the two gigantic halves dropped down onto the Omusas.  
"TIIIIIIMBERRRRRRRR!" roared Laurie victoriously with a smirk as the Omusa's were crushed with four, five, six times their own weight. isolated limbs poked out from underneath the wood as Laurie glanced at the two brandishing the Munechika over his shoulder.  
"Ow…" groaned Blue Omusa as he slid the rest of his body out from under the tree "I thought he was behind the tree, not up it." Laurie could scarcely believe what hee was seeing as the two Omusas, completely undamaged rose before him  
"We may not be that strong!" screeched Pink Omusa in her false sickly sweet and high pitched voice "But our technology is second to none! This space armor is made out of the strongest metal of all – Amptium!" Laurie couldn't tell if thise was a joke or not, but before he could even consider laughing Blue Omusa appeared in front of him  
"Booster Boots." He said simply as his leg rose vertically against his own body "They make me super fast."  
 _ **CRUNCH!  
**_ A fist pommelled itself through Laurie's ribcage as he keeled onto Blue's arm who instantly shrugged him onto the floor  
"Amptium sure packs a punch, huh?!" screeched Pink Omusa who then began cackling manically.  
"Stop trying to change your voice…" Blue muttered to Pink who continued to giggle "Now, what to do with you? Shall we burn you along with the guild while everyone's away?"  
"No one's getting burned except you!" Renshin's outcry echoed throughout the guildroom as a continuous burst of flame roared endlessly. The man himself flew up onto the central platform of the guildroom with pipes fastened to his arms and legs and wearing a strangely shaped helmet.  
"Wait…No way." Laurie mouthed as he began to realise what he was looking at. A bionic Racoon suit and matching helmet stood before him, ready for mechanical combat.  
"Don't rub it in…" came Josh's bitter voice from the very edge of the guildroom "I said I wanted a fire racoon suit, instead I'm forced to make an Ice badger...What even is an Ice Badger?!" A rather sweaty Josh collapsed at the very edge of the guildroom as a tower of ice he had created in order to reach the guildroom in the sky melted behind him. "Why the guildroom is in the middle of the sky, I'll never know…"  
'So Renshin had rushed off to make a Fire racoon suit the other day?' thought Laurie to himself 'and Josh was grumpy over the phone not because I didn't have a skin idea still but because Renshin had already started making a 'Fire Racoon' suit for himself?'  
"You two have armoured battlesuits," grinned Renshin pointing at the Omusas "So do we. So let's fight fire with fire!"  
"And Ice…" added Josh drily.  
'The Omusa unit are unbeatable,' thought Laurie continuing to analyse the situation 'but only as their full 5-person unit! As a fraction of their total numbers and in a 2v2 context perhaps Renshin and Josh might have a chance!'

Both in their high-tech suits: Colours V.S Animals, this was truly a battle of technology and machinery and not of the suit occupiers skill and ability – but this wasn't to say Renshin and Josh were inept. But was a fight really necessary though? If Laurie could somehow get into contact with Gillman who lived in the Guildroom most of the time then he could pull the alarms and everyone would come to the rescue. The only problem with that plan was Gillman wasn't whole-heartedly loyal to Lunar as he was a representative on behalf of all guilds. Gillman would no doubt be patrolling somewhere or lounging about – or not even in Lunar's guildroom. As long as there was a change Laurie would try to find him, and as he struggled about and managing to crawl away Renshin and Josh pounced. In 2v2 conditions as small as this ganging was not frowned upon, but seen fit as 'teamwork' – as established long ago in the annual Gemini Tournament. Blue and Pink Omusa flipped about in a frenzy and were impossible to isolate whilst Renshin circled the air with his fire and Josh formed ice walls and obstacles.  
"Watch the fire, Renshin!" Josh called angrily "Your melting my obstructions!" Renshin blew a raspberry and flew further away, fire shooting from the pipes at his arms as he accelerated. The two opposing strategies became apparent; The Racoon and Badger Suits isolating themselves and the Blue and Pink Omusas sticking together. With fire shooting from all four limbs, Josh with blocks of ice was far less intimidating and with that observation the Omusas began to make their move.


	22. BluePink VS RacoonBadger (Armored Pt3)

Spiralling up on an ice spire that Josh had based himself on, with such momentum the Omusas curved up the steep ice with great ease until they were sprinting vertically upward.  
"UH, Renshin!?" cried Josh who was wholly dependent on his ice pillar  
"What!" called Renshin uncooperatively who swooped down toward the base of the ice tower. The Omusas dashed closer to Josh, but suddenly from the melting base of the pillar due to Renshin's fire-spouting gauntlets the pillar began to topple. The Omusa's heightened senses of the battlesuits detected danger and they immediately reacted by kicking off the spire of ice in opposite directions.  
"RENSHIN, THE HELL?!" screamed Josh as he slipped from his perch and plummeted to the ground. All Renshin saw as Josh belted his lungs out was the chance to narrow a target, he soared behind the repelling Blue Omusa 'I can burn his suit and sear the person inside..!' thought Renshin sinisterly. 'All metal conducts heat!' But not Amptium as Renshin found out the moment he blasted pyro right into Blue Omusa's helmet as he fell through the air. As Renshin flew alongside Blue firing flame, Pink appeared as if out of nowhere and kicked Renshin's head directly to the floor so hard that his helmet cracked and the flame couldn't alter his mid-air direction.  
"Wow, that was hot." Said Blue as he and Pink landed safely next to Renshin who landed with a massive thud.  
"Well I have been practicing my acrobatics!" said Pink gleefully. "Did I really look sexy?"  
"No, I meant this guy's fire was hot…" said Blue bitterly as he kicked off the last fragments of Renshin's racoon helmet.  
"Stop chipping the helmet and just crush his skull already!" ordered Pink angrily  
"Oh, like this?" Blue raised his leg, high above Renshin's head  
"Yes, now stomp!" Blue remained motionless, watching Pink blankly with his leg curved upward. "Go! Stop joking around, we still have that other guy to worry about!"  
"I'm sorry…" said Josh poking his head out from behind Blue Omusa "Who is this other guy you just mentioned?" One of his hands was on Blue's back and his ice was completely freezing the joints of Blue's suit, preventing any and all movement.  
"How come I couldn't detect you?!" cried Pink  
"A fine ice mist in the air jammed your sensors." said Josh smugly pointing his finger out at their seemingly unaffected surroundings. His finger moved over to Pink "and how did you quickly move in mid-air to attack Renshin?" Pink Omusa stretched her neck in an effort to compose herself and looked down at her boots "Small air jets in my boots to change falling trajectory; No flying like your friend but very helpful in tough situations."  
"I need to get me some of those…" replied Josh just joshing around.

Renshin was concussed temporarily and Blue was frozen as long as Josh's hand stayed on his back, but Pink didn't know this. The standoff wouldn't last too long if he let go and it became a 2v1, unless Josh could figure something out.  
"What now…" said Omusa Pink cautiously, her false sweet voice no longer present in the slightest.  
"What indeed…" replied Josh carefully glancing at Renshin. Suddenly Renshin jerked away with a load groan but in an flash was pacified by Pink kicking his head with brute force  
"O-Oh…" muttered Josh, his surprise comeback with Renshin's aid in ruins.  
"How about you take your hand off of Blue and we let you go." Josh staggered slightly; Pink's sensors were broken, how did she know that Blue Omusa was primarily frozen from the hand and not the fine mist. "What? You think I didn't know? Why else would you keep your hand there for such a prolonged amount of time." Josh wasn't just about to give up as his eyes squinted at Pink Omusa, analysing her carefully and how she kept so calm.  
"You're mad if you think I'm going to forfeit" he said.  
"Very well then." with a soft kiss of her hand a blow in Blue's direction Blue briefly sparkled a florescent green light and unfroze momentarily, but just long enough to stumble away safely. For an instant he was confused, but he quickly realised what was going on and aimed his blaster gun at Josh "My secret technique," said Pink sweetly "2v1. Your move."

There wasn't much Josh could do now, he was sorely outmatched and he never expected Pink's restorative ability.  
"I don't need my s-s-scanner to t-tell something it wr-wrong." shivered Blue fighting the cold which hadn't subsided entirely. "OH! Damn it! That Anti-Laurie looking guy has gone missing again!  
"You mean Laurie..?" corrected Josh. Blue lowered his hand into an armored white pouch at his hip and drew a small device with a large black button. "Wingdom's Emergency remote!" cried out Josh in horror.  
"Close but no cigar." said Blue casually as if hearing this many times before. "This is the Omusa Emergency Remote – one press of this and the full Omusa Unit will gather in ten seconds flat. And I bet you know what happens when all five of the Omusa Unit are together." Blue deliberately paused so Josh could answer  
"Omusa Dragon will beat the shit out of you!" grinned Pink  
"I wanted to tell him!" snapped Blue angrily "by serving the Val Sharks the Omusa Unit is given enough income to maintain the technological monstrosity that is the Omusa Dragon – Our ultimate Mecha combining all our advanced weaponry into one!"  
"Why are you telling me all this…" said Josh, defeated but seeing no chance of getting out of this situation.  
"Well…If your guild leader returns with support of more guild members, the alarm goes off, we get rushed by a big group – anything of the sort…" Blue left his sentence hanging as he resumed to stand beside Pink with the remote of imminent destruction right at his fingertips.


	23. ThunderFox (Armored Pt4)

"If your guild leader returns with support of more guild members…" said Blue sinisterly leering over Josh "…the alarm goes off, we get rushed by a big group – anything of the sort…" he did not finish his sentence as he stepped back with the Omusa Emergency Remote in his hand – capable of summoning the full Omusa Unit in just ten seconds as well as the infamous Omusa Dragon Mecha, the pinnacle of armored mobility.  
"And what if it's none of the above!?" The two Omusas spun around to the direction of Laurie's voice – there he stood; alone. No support. No alarms.  
"Oohhheaheaheaheahea!" cackled Pink forcibly "Looks like we don't have to involve the other Omusas after all! We can beat you on our own and then destroy your guild room!"  
"Laurie! What is-" but before Josh could finish Laurie had put on the helmet under his arm and was sprinting to the Omusas at lightning speed.  
"I hate Renshin so much for making this!" he cried through his metallic fox helmet before zapping through the Omusas with a lightning kick. The two flailed backwards, unharmed through their impenetrable armor.

Laurie wasted no time while they weren't nearby  
"Josh! Help me wake Renshin up!" Without question Josh started slapping Renshin's face while Laurie kicked at his chest at an incredible rate  
"Gaahrgh..urgh..what?" Josh and Laurie flipped backwards as a bombardment of rays shot past them – The Omusas had returned. When they were within close-quarters range a flurry of punches and kicks came their way and Josh and Laurie had no choice but to take the defence. Their armor was nowhere near as resilient, but their skills and natural senses were significantly higher as Josh and Laurie blocked hit after hit. Omusa Pink was too quick for Laurie as he swapped from defending attacks head on to dodging. He ducked and stepped backward gradually as melee blows narrowly missed his vitals.  
"WHAT'S THE PLAN, LAURIE?!" cried Josh desperately who felt equally cornered.  
"Renshin!" shouted Laurie trying to lock Pink's arms to quell the fighting temporarily "shoot fire into the sky!" Renshin didn't understand but did as he was told. Fire relentlessly blazed above them and Renshin's back was pushed hard into the ground by the fire's propulsion.  
"Ice Josh, ice!"  
"BIT BUSY!" panted Josh as he sprinted away from Blue Omusa's blaster rays.  
"While Renshin has the fire! Hurry!" Thinking on his feet Josh shot the ground with a small portion of ice, the moment he saw Blue slip he sent out an endless stream of ice into the air, melting instantly in the flame and causing a raining affect over the guildroom. Josh was a fair distance away, Renshin was in the very center of the guildroom now but it was worth the risk. As soon as Laurie felt rainwater in his hair he slammed both palms against the ground and from the power of his ThunderFox battlesuit created a lightning storm which conducted perfectly against each individual drop of rain and devastated anyone it touched.  
"No technology, however advanced can resist an electrical malfunction" smirked Laurie as he looked up at Pink Omusa whose eyes widened in fear. In an instant Blue and Pink fell to the floor screaming in pain, but the shock to the already wounded Renshin had knocked him unconscious almost immediately with minimal suffering.  
"Wh-What have you done?!" cried Josh who was outside the blasts range  
"Just a bit of lightning rain!" replied Laurie as his own electrical capacity went into overload and shut down  
"Requesting immediate removal! I repeat: Requesting immediate removal!" screamed Blue Omusa in a coarse voice as he threw himself off the ledge of the guildroom and into freefall  
"Abort mission!" cried Pink Omusa following suit "Do not engage! Withdraw!" With the whoosh of a jetplane flying below the guildroom the two Omusa Members were no more.

As the lightning rain subsided Josh approached Laurie who lay flat on the ground beside a sleeping Renshin.  
"Why did they withdraw when they had more members and the Omusa Dragon at their disposal?" asked Josh  
"Oh, a little bit tired but I'm fine thanks, yourself?" mocked the exhausted Laurie. Josh rolled his eyes but then Laurie continued, "Because the Omusa Dragon technically isn't at their 'disposal', it costs far too much money to deploy, yet alone maintain."  
"How's the F-OUUGH-Fox Armor?" coughed Renshin who had overheard the two and woken up.  
"I hate you…" said Laurie sarcastically with a big grin on his face as he slapped Renshin's arm.  
"Let me rephrase the question;" thought Josh aloud who was still concerned about the Omusa "Why would they withdraw if they were still able to win against us?" Laurie thought for a moment.  
"For the Omusa it's not about winning, only whether it's worth their time and money, and the result of the outcome."  
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Josh  
"It means I don't think the Omusa Unit fully have their hearts in opposing Lunar, even if that's the order from their Val Shark Superiors. I heard them talking about it before you guys got here – They got their orders from Anti-Laurie, he from Ponse, and then all the way up the food chain." Renshin had gone back to sleep and was now snoring  
"I'm pretty tired…I might just have a nap here too" said Laurie collapsing and curling himself into a ball, still wearing his heavy armor.  
"So what, we're just going to clean all of this in the morning?" asked Josh  
"Nope, you get started now and when I wake up…" Laurie snapped his fingers flamboyantly "We're talkin' skins!" and with that he instantly conked out and was fast asleep  
"You got your Fox Armor though!" shouted Josh into the void. With a great sigh he went off to find a dust pan and brush. The three had fended off a disaster, but Laurie was still without a new outfit.


	24. Battlesuit Excitment (Armored PtExtra)

The next day an overtired Josh was locked up in his room working secretly  
"Whatcha up to!" cried Laurie ecstatically as he kicked open Josh's room door "Nice job cleaning the guild room last night, spick and span! Look I brought Aquila with me, he's come to say hi!" Laurie nudged Aquila's shoulder firmly "Say hello…"  
"…"Aquila's eyes were bloodshot red from having an all-night bender with Pip, Sparks and L.J – True Party animals, especially Pip who was in fact a dog.  
"SO-" continued Laurie trying to mask the sorry state of Aquila "let's talk sk-oh! Renshin's here too!"  
"Hello!" burst Renshin popping up behind Aquila and Laurie  
"Let's talk skins!" Josh hadn't been listening to a word Laurie had been saying as he was too engrossed in his work "Oi! I'm talking Josh! Oi! What are you making?"  
"Well…" croaked the tired Josh who had been up all night cleaning the guild room" "I thought because the helmet of Renshin's broke…"  
"What!" cried Renshin pushing in front of Aquila and Laurie and seeing what Josh had ben working on "No! I'm the racoon! I'll make a new one, you can't replace me!"  
"Christ Manteppp! Can you both stop!" complained Laurie "I said I didn't want an armor skin!"  
"Yeah, but you have the ThunderFox already, I want to be a racoon!" pleaded Josh  
"Why does it even matter, it's not like it's a big thing!  
"But I wanted us to be like the Battle Animal Trio or something"  
"Animech Tri…" said Renshin with bulging eyes of excitement  
"No-no-no-nonono!" winged Laurie "We're not becoming a group or anything!"  
"I wanna be a sloth…" said Aquila vacantly whilst picking his noise  
"Done! I'll work on a skin!" said Josh decisively  
"NOOOO!" roared Laurie  
"Ooo Oo! Can Shot be a duck!?" said Renshin eagerly "Ooo and make Pip a Tiger and Gosei a Wolf or something – like the opposites of a dog and a cat! I'm so funny!  
"Yes yes yes! Done and done and done!" cried Josh absolutely brimming with excitement  
"NO, JOSH, STOP! This can't be a thing!" said Laurie with such a definitive tone that Josh put his tools down with a sigh.  
"Very well...It won't be."

OR WILL IT?

Your move, Josh (& Renshin or other skin-makers…)


	25. Street Fight Pt1

Lunar Antics Chapter 24 – Street Fight pt.1

The GAT Stadium is the home to professionally organised fights; Four person Team Deathmatches and eight person 'All-for-one' Deathmatches but no more than that. However, what authority figures like The General Raizo, emperor of Wingdom and Red Bull, Leader of the Megaforce didn't realise is that an underground battle organisation existed outside of the organised GAT Stadium and happened out on the streets.

The appropriately named 'Street Fights' were run by LJ, famed DJ and owner of Wingdom's hottest club. Something so underground and illegal ran by such a well-known figure was a dangerous move, but it had been going on for a few years undetected by any established organisation.

Usually anyone who was present in a desolated and secluded street was up for a fight and was anyone's game – people could turn up whenever and if someone was there, a battle could commence at the drop of a hat.

Sometimes for a much longer and intense battle, mail would be sent out to regular fighters who had attended previous battles to all meet up at the same time – this was one of those occasions as Funneh stood trembling with excitement with an envelope in his hands. Busy with their own events, missions and past-times, not many Lunar Members were affiliated to the Street Fight scene and Funneh wanted to keep it this way. A Street Fight was not the place for seeing friendly faces and Lunar would be best to avoid getting involved.  
 _'A fight is inevitable with some people…'_ thought Funneh to himself as a dark cloaked figure with an over- accentuated tip-toe sidled up to him.  
"You got the letter…" muttered the poorly disguised Kazeru from under his hood  
"Kazeru, I know that's you under there" said Funneh lack-lustily with his eyebrows furrowing  
"Wh-t-uuuh this is not Kazeru but Nazenu, I have infiltrated your guild to deliver this message."  
"I can see your blue hair under that hood." After a short pause with no visible reaction from Kaz the hood came down and sure enough it was Kazeru exactly how he always was  
"Okay, you got me, just see you there, all right?"

There were no alliances in a Street Fight, regardless of even trying not to attack certain people, there was so much chaos you were bound to hit a friend at some point. Because of this from their first encounter during a street fight Funneh and Kazeru agreed to communicate with one another as little as possible. As Kazeru briskly wandered off flapping his hood back over his head, Laurie and Mokoalw who had been eating hot chips wrapped up in newspaper watched lazily from the side.  
"Yo Kaz!" cried Laurie through a burning mouthful of searing potato, but remained unharmed  
"Crap, what's your mouth made of? Wax?" said Moko in a concerned tone behind his eerily calm smile and waiting for his own chips to cool down.  
 _'Laurie can't find out about the street fights'_ thought Funneh as he glanced over _'No offence to him, but if he finds out he'll blab to everyone, too many people will show up and The General will find out.'_ Walking away from being within Laurie's eyesight Funneh opened his envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. It simple read  
 **'An hour after sunset. Usual Place.'** then stamped with the rising fist emblem of the Street Fighters. With a momentary regard Funneh had it memorized and the envelope and letter burst into flames in the clutch of his white Prominence Cross Fire Gauntlets. Funneh had been training hard with this accessory none-stop all year and had made sure never to use it against another street fighter until he was ready. In the months of training he had only burnt himself seven times. Jacky Noboru may well be the most recognised fighter with the fire cross, but Funneh was prepared to bring a brand new aspect of it to the Street Fight. The sunset had come steadily and when an hour had passed Funneh headed off for the all out brawl.


	26. Street Fight Pt2

Lunar Antics Chapter 25 – Street Fight pt.2

Nightfall elapsed across the streets of Wingdom.  
Not only were not a lot of people out on a weeknight, but in a certain desolate part of town, old stores had been abandoned and a large fenced off alleyway was unaccessable to the average passer-byer. But Funneh was not your average passer-byer who flipped over the large fence with east. He was not the first person to arrive as an awkward three-person schism had already begun. A two VS one fight is unfair, but at least it makes sense – three people all fighting each other, unsure who to target just looks ridiculous. As Funneh watched he instantly recognised the cloaked Kazeru with his yatagarasu crow and knives who scuffled and jumped about. In the feud was also Van Rajni, a fist-fighting Megaforce member and Ryo, a bowl-cut headed martial artist of the Val Sharks. Despite the higher ups motives of wanting to destroy Windom, lowest ranking Val Sharks were welcome to participate in the Street Fights for "they couldn't possibly do any real harm" said LJ on one occasion. Although technically the Street Fight was already on, it hadn't reached full swing. The trick was to conserve your stamina until there was a mob fighting one another then to unleash a devastating attack on everyone. Keeping his footsteps as quiet as possible in movement, Funneh dashed over to a wall on the far right, jet up it vertically and hid behind a giant water tank on the building's roof. Van Rajni had hit Kazeru with the force of a nailgun and set him flying up to the roof and with a bang and crash landed in front of the water tank. Guzo and Bichiruma of the Val Sharks could be seen joining the fray as well as various unknown fighters of the underground Street Fight scene.  
"Must be our time to strike, hmm?" came a deep resonant voice which made Funneh leap out of his skin and flare up his Prominence Cross Fire Gauntlets. "Fear not, for I have no beef with you, stranger." Behind the water tank at Funneh's left was the rather obvious Laurie Moon with a weird yellow and blue mask on.  
"Laurie..? What are you doing! How did you find out about the Street Fight?!"  
"Who is this Laurie? I see no one of that name here; only the great SogeMoon!" flapping a red sheet up high and tying it around his neck to make a cape he dramatically pointed up into the sky.  
"I don't see anyone…" muttered Funneh who followed the pointed finger.  
"No, me! ME! I'm SogeMoon!" he boomed  
"Right you are, SogeMoon! Let's go and kick ass!" Funneh now turned to his right to the source of the ecstatic nasally voice – Renshin with a fake curly moustache  
"Not you too, Renshin!" You guys are gonna get the whole guild involved!" cried Funneh worryingly "and then it'll be too popular, The General will find out and shut it all down – banning Street Fights!"  
"Okay, firstly-" said SogeMoon sassily "This is not 'Renshin' , whoever that is, this is Squire M'Buffins my comrade in arms."  
"Undootably" added Squire M'Buffins off-handedly.  
"Secondly, I don't know any 'guild' to get anyone involved. The only thing getting more popular around here is me."  
"Nice one SogeMoon!" cheered Squire M'Buffins.  
"Yes," said Kazeru blankly poking his red bleeding head out from around the back of the water tank. "Also this is not Kazeru but Nazenu."


	27. Street Fight Pt3

Lunar Antics Chapter 26 – Street Fight pt.3

Funneh couldn't fathom this – Four Lunar guild members (with himself included) at the street fight, and all of them falsifying their identities.  
Kazeru who had just suffered a major blow patted his head casually as blood dripped from his head onto his face "Also this is not blood but my real hair colour…I'm Nazenu." added Fake Nazenu staring daggers at Funneh to keep his mouth shut.  
" 'Bout that time, eh chaps!?" bellowed SogeMoon unsheathing his oversized flaming sword which could only be described as a 'Shit-throwing Fuckmonger'  
"Righto!" chimed in Squire M'Buffins with an equally gigantic Lightning Sword the 'Vajra Authority'. The group darted up to the top of the water tank, with Funneh clambering behind and gazed over the street which seemed more like a packed arena. Bullets flying, weapons clanging and clashing; The Street Fight had reached it's high point in their absence and Funneh's mood perked up as he realised no one would care too much about who exactly they were fighting in this mayhem. It was time to reveal his new battle tactics with the flaming Prominance Cross.  
"Ready when you guys are," he said surveying the battlefield.  
"Alright, let's knock em' dead!" grinned SogeMoon lifting his unrealistic large sword up high.  
"I'm sorry SogeMoon, I'm afraid I can't let you do that." Mokoalw with a familiar white patterned hat and long black jacket jumped up to the rooftop gazing menacingly at the identity crisis trio and Funneh who was now reaching a critical point of confusion.  
"Who is this?!" burst SogeMoon with an unconvincing undertone. Squire M'Buffins shifted up to SogeMoon's ear,  
"Uh, Laurie it's Moko-"  
"WHO…Is this?! What is that outfit supposed to be, I've seen it somewhere before…"  
"I'm MokoLaw!" as he gestured up at them with his palm outstretched "Trafalgar MokoLaw! ROOM!" His palm gripped and twisted slightly as if something gigantic was in his grasp. Fake Nazenu who had watched a lot of anime yelped and wrapped himself spread eagle against the water tank so as not to be pulled away by an unknown force. The others simply watched as everything remained unchanged and MokoLaw stood dramatically motionless.  
"Moko, stop." muttered SogeMoon in a less energetic, more Laurie-sounding voice. He awkwardly glanced at Funneh and the others before resuming honestly "I'm the only alter ego based on a One Piece character…" Before an argument could even begin a blur rocketed past them, shooting straight through thee water tank, unleashing a powerful torrent of tightly compressed water.  
"Wahahaha! I punched him so hard he pierced through that little water cooler over there!" chuckled a coarse and harsh voice. The Street Fighting had somehow ceased as a gigantic blue vested man with bulging muscles stood in the very centre, Street Fighters immobilized in fear around him.  
"Holy shit…" gasped Funneh "That's one of the top brass of the Val Sharks – Masked Man!" He had scarcely been seen in the flesh but wanted posters were very widespread "Wait-!" continued Funneh "Isn't it…It is! That's Bon Seagal! THE GAT CHAMPION!" Despite a thin iron mask with false red eyes and metal eyebrow, this was quite obviously Bon Seagal from the GetAmped tournaments, everything else about him was exactly the same – the outfit and the hair were clearly that of Bon's.  
"Another masked man appears on the battlefield!" proclaimed SogeMoon whipping his red cape defiantly. "However this one is even named as such, pahahahah!" Squire M'Buffins patted Sogemoon on the back continuously,  
"Go get him, you can do it SogeMoon!" Masked Man who had been recoiling his fist ready to punch another random fighter shot SogeMoon a glare which pierced as strong as the flying body through the water tank. It was as if he had sensed his intention to battle .  
"Uhh..On second through – you better go instead, Squire."  
"N-N…No…!" through the ripped open hole of the water tank, Gosei with a black bandanna over his eyes and eyeholes cut out lay with scraggy and wet fur. "I the anonymous Cat Burgler was vanquished in one hit, there is no way anyone can even harm him..He's invincible!" Squire M'Buffins looked from the injured cat to the Masked Man who was beginning to look impatient  
"B-But…SogeMoon said I should go" he mumbled hesitantly. Gosei sat up slightly, wincing through the pain  
"If SogeMoon told you to go and jump off a building would-" Squire M'Buffins jumped off the building and soared down to the Masked Man. Like a baseball player well prepared for a pitch, Masked Man grinned and brutally drew his fist back. Squire M'Buffins lost all the colour in his face as he plummeted, he knew what was going to happen before it had even begun. In an instant Masked Man's fist warped forward, square into Squire M'Buffin's face whose skull seemingly disintegrated. The air around the punch flattered past onlookers, rippling their clothes as it did. SogeMoon feigned confidence but Fake Nazenu's face completely shrivelled up in horror as Squire M'Buffins took off at the speed of light into the stratosphere. This was it thought Funneh, the strongest punch of raw physical strength in Wingdom, neigh the galaxy. Only Jacky Noboru with his Fire Cross gauntlets could come on par with this – and Bon Seagal, or Masked Man wasn't even using any weapon or accessory at all. Laurie turning up disguised as SogeMoon was enough to blow the Street Fight cover – but an elite Val Shark attack or the #1 GAT Fighter showing up? No more Street fights. It was going to be banned for good. But now, with Street Fighters all over the battlefield halting their combat and trembling at the raw strength of Masked Man this being the last Street Fight was the least of Funneh's problems.


	28. Street Fight Pt4

Lunar Antics Chapter 27 – Street Fight pt.4

"Well," said Masked Man in a grunt "If nobody else wants to offer themselves up to me by trying to be a hero I can finally begin the true fight."  
"Who is that Masked Man…?" muttered the alleged Nazenu  
"I will never tell." Said SogeMoon cheekily  
"Not you, him!"  
"Guys, it's Bon Seagal!" hissed Funneh panicking  
"Whaaat? Nooo…" said SogeMoon pushing Funneh's shoulder lightly  
"C'mon! The similarities are uncanny!"  
"STREET FIGHTERS!" burst Masked Man "Thank you for gathering to sign your own death warrants. I can now bring you the slaughter…!" The lower ranked Val Sharks began to shuffle behind Masked Man, but something about the terror on their faces gave off the impression that they weren't safe even with their own member. The solidarity of every Street Fighter was threatened as they looked about nervously; were they supposed to team up against Masked Man or continue the chaotic assault in any direction. Before anyone could communicate or plan an attack Masked Man's gigantic build had started warping, for less than a second at a time Masked Man could be seen fist outstretched in front of where a person once stood. Just like how he warped about his targets mysteriously warped from view as well, just like with Squire M'Buffins earlier who had been knocked into the air far from visibility.  
"Is anyone even trying!?" cried Kazeru who's horrified face was beginning to show signs of sweating "I can't see a thing with that speed.  
"To think a punch that strong requires no preparation…" muttered Funneh longingly  
"OKAY," boomed SogeMoon who had somehow positioned himself atop the water tank again and had his arms folded and cape swelling in the wind. "While his attention is elsewhere we will prepare out attack!" bodies were vanishing one by one as Masked Man warped about, seemingly moving his way toward the group atop the roof.  
"Better plan fast, SogeMoon." said MokoLaw sternly whose unreadable face was showing signs of anxiety as he peered over the edge "I sense Masked Man entering my room!"  
"For the last time, you're not like Trafalgar Law!" grumbled SogeMoon "You're only dressed like him, nothing more!"  
"Speak for yourself…" grimaced MokoLaw.  
"Enough!" bellowed Funneh "I'm through with you guys with your fake identities! They only seem to prevent you from actually fighting!" Then suddenly an idea lit up in his head. As their end drew near and the last of the Street Fighters were warp-punched into the air and less than half of the lower ranked Val Sharks hid behind Masked Man, Funneh revealed to the others his ultimate plan.

SogeMoon, Funneh, Nazenu and MokoLaw scattered whilst the Cat Burglar rested atop the roof. It took no time at all for Masked Man to realise and with his speed their separation hardly made a difference. Even with only two eyes Masked Man's senses were abnormally heightened with a technique called 'Oversense'. His hearing, touch, smell and even taste could detect their exact position as well as literally seeing them. But even as he "saw" them all rushing around him, his hearing sense took preference as bellowing right in front of him came  
"BON SEAGAL!? IT'S YOU ISN'T IT?" It was brief but Funneh saw him hesitate in his tracks before turning – as if turning from hearing a noise and not a recognised name  
"That's not me." Said Masked Man awkwardly in his gruff voice.  
"Oh no of course not," Replied Funneh with a light-hearted chuckle, batting the air in front of him "but you are very similar. Possibly just as strong too!" Masked Man was acting very out of character suddenly, like he was embarrassed or nervous. The remaining Street Fighters and Val Sharks were too shell-shocked to react to Masked Man holding his wrist and twirling his toes  
"Y-You have me m-mistaken for someone else I think… I don't know who Bon- uuh – Bam Seagull is."  
"Oh?!" cried Funneh a little too over-exaggerated as he watched SogeMoon and the others quite opening dashing around the perimeter of the Street "He's the #1 GAT Fighter! But anyway, I would love to see the two of you battle one day. I'm sure it'd be close because your physiques are so similar." Funneh was extremely suspicious that Masked Man knew what was going on, and paranoid the plan would be uncovered. But as it turned out Masked Man was so engrossed on his double-identity he was unable to analyse his surroundings  
"Yeah, um, It'd be a close fight.." he mumbled wiping sweat out from under his iron moustache. "but I think I'd win…Not that Ball Seagon, whatever his name is wouldn't be strong. I bet he's very handsome too – but..um..not as uh..handsome as me…" Masked Man or Bon Seagal was clearly a very self-centered idiot thought Funneh, unworthy of his impossible strength. Behind the Masked Man, hidden admist the lower ranked Val Sharks Funneh spotted the ripple of SogeMoon's red cape, and quickly glancing to his left and right while Masked Man was focused on how he folded his arms he spotted Fake Nazenu and MokoLaw waiting at the streets edge.

The plan had worked out miraculously, more than Funneh could've imagined; Who would've thought that the #1 Fighter with an undercover alter ego would be so nervous and feeble in the face of adversity. But would they be able to pull it off? Funneh slowly put his hands behind his back and activated his Prominence gauntlets, the flame growing in size and heat. Masked Man was completely unaware, now readjusting his mask, making sure it was solidly covering his face – why he made no effort to change his clothes from the typical outfit screaming 'Bon Seagal' no one knew.  
"Hey, Masked Man." Came the low steady voice of SogeMoon from admist the Val Sharks "You're nicked. GO!"


	29. Street Fight Pt5

Lunar Antics Chapter 28 – Street Fight pt.5

Masked Man turned around suddenly at finally being referred to as something else other than 'Bon Seagal'. Knocking down all the weak Val Sharks in a furious swipe; Guzo, Alba, Ryo, Bichiruma, Simon and more were tossed aside like bowling pins as SogeMoon carved through like a hot knife through butter with his gigantic 'shit-throwing fuckmonger' blade. At light speed SogeMoon rocketed forward at Masked Man. Clenching his fists tightly and criss-crossing his arms Masked Man prepared to block the oncoming attack, and as the oversized blade whacked against his strong arms, cutting absolutely nothing as if the arms were made of steel, SogeMoon grinned broadly and the very bottom of his smiling mouth showed prominently at the bottom of the mask. Masked Man caught a glimpse of the smile and was stunned. How could this happen – He, the #1 Fighter, or rather one of the Val Sharks top brass had never let an attack catch him by surprise in years. In the instant he was blocking the Shit-throwing fuckmonger he sensed attacks at his left and right. Hundreds of suicidal crows and a smirking Fake Nazenu and MokoLaw with a large gigantic bomb on his head with a sparking fuse came at him from both sides. Worst of all, directly behind him a super charged flying flame fist as Funneh accelerated towards his most unguarded spot. SogeMoon's slash had dealt nothing but everything else was an unequivocal direct hit.

No witness could tell which attack hit first: The flurry of pecking crows and feathers fluttering, the gigantic self-sacrificing explosion from MokoLaw's golden bomb or the wave of flame from Funneh's punch – all they knew was that Masked Man had been annihilated in the unseeable impact. Leaping out of the blaze and burning feathers SogeMoon revealed himself with a chunk of his mask now snapped off and the bottom of his cape smoking. He sheathed his blade victoriously and rested it casually on his shoulder  
"All in a day's work!" he proclaimed heroically "Wait! No, don't quote me on that…Uh…Looks like my mask was stronger than yours..! No that's not good either.." If a single hit from Masked Man could take Cat Burgler Gosei out then surely the strongest attack of Funneh, SogeMoon, Fake Nazenu and MokoLaw at once would beat Masked Man. As the smoke and feathers began to clear all of the bodies of the weaker Val Sharks could be seen unconscious, with the largest of all – Masked Man right at the front.

Funneh let out a loud sigh, unlike SogeMoon he wasn't ready to celebrate until he had seen proof.  
"We definitely did it!" Cheered Funneh leaning down and panting with his hands on his knees.  
"I feel a bit bad though cause we did kinda gang him.." said Nazenu truthfully as he approached the field of bodies. "Not that I care or anything, I always break the rules, because I am Nazenu."  
"No biggy.." a gruff voice made the ground quake and Fake Nazenu squealed and leapt back to safety behind Funneh. Masked Man pushed himself up and patted the back of his head which dampened a small fire presumably from Funneh's punch "Don't push me over, it's not very nice."  
'Push…PUSH him over?!' thought Funneh  
"We didn't slash, burn him or anything?!" said MokoLaw out loud and jumping down to the centre-court of the street.  
"Not quite.." replied Funneh suspiciously. Half of Masked Man's mask had been chipped off – blatantly solidifying once and for all that 'Masked Man' was Bon Seagal with one of his yellow hawk-like eyes showing and the other still masked under steel and making his other pupil look red.  
"Hmm, I can't quite identify him even with that broken mask…" said SogeMoon curipously and quite seriously.  
"UM, SOGEMOON, are you kidding!?" bellowed Funneh.  
"You four are done for." Said Masked Man grumpily. As intimidating as Masked Man's red eye was on the hard steel of his mask it could not compare to the severity of his actual hawk-like glare from the unmasked side of his face. He was done playing now and Funneh and the others were about to get ripped to pieces.  
'I mustn't be afraid,' thought Funneh uncertainly 'If I'm to improve as a fighter I need to tackle any situation head on, even if the odds are stacked against me.' The flames of his prominence cross crackled faster as his fists tightened 'Just like Jacky Noboru.' Funneh gazed up at Masked Man, his tall figure and massive framework of his bones suggested a wiry and vigorous constitution, his shadow eclipsing the entire street and towering over them all. But as Funneh looked about nervously his uncertainty went away, as SogeMoon must've been thinking the exact same thing – His sword had been unsheathed once more and he looked as if he was filled with an unrelenting spirit to never give in.  
"YOU ARE SURROUNDED." Came a confident resilient outcry through a MegaFone™ branded megaphone. "Please come quietly to the Megaforce HQ." Unphased Masked Man's eye's flickered around. At the edge of street corners, the top of rooftops Megaforce members could be seen scattered about all ready to combat against him and possibly Funneh and the others as well. Against the back near the giant water tank, MegaFone™ in hand stood Fabrico, the advanced Space Soldier of the Megaforce who had once combatted several Omusa Unit members at once. Curiously at his side the private detective Zen in his full brown suit and matching hat was talking to the injured Cat Burgler and writing in a notepad.  
'Oh shit!' thought Funny the moment he noticed this 'he's going to expose Street fights and get this whole backdoor battle style banned!' But that was the least of his worries – Megaforce V.S Masked Man was about to commence and Funneh, SogeMoon, Fake Nazenu and MokoLaw were caught right in the centre of it.


	30. Street Fight Pt6

Lunar Antics Chapter 29 – Street Fight pt.6

The unmoving colossus that was Masked Man stood before Funneh, SogeMoon Fake Nazenu and MokoLaw and surrounded at all sides were members of all ranks of the Megaforce, lead by none other than the blonde haired, stern blue eyed Space Captain Fabrico.  
"Are they against us as well..?" whispered MokoLaw whose usual eerie smile was not present.  
"Maybe.." replied Fake Nazenu "But if so that's to be expected, I am Nazenu after all."  
"Hmph," the grunt caused the four to jump as they shot a glance back to Masked Man "Lucky for you all I'm feeling a little tired to kill you right now." Said Masked Man briefly brushing the un-masked side of his face where Funneh swore he could see some panic-induced sweat. "Looks like you won't learn my true identity today!" In an instant Funneh attempted to bitterly proclaim Masked Man was Bon Seagal one more time, but Masked Man warped right to the wall of the street and began sprinting up the wall with incredible speed and force.  
"Open fire!" bellowed Fabrico pointing wildly down at the building-side. Megaforce's tech lead by the green military armored Mike appeared at the rooftop's edge and with a uninterrupted view of Masked Man dashing upwards their guns rattled as bullets pelted downward.  
"Bullets?! Who do you think I am! I'm not the #1 Fi-Uuhh, Top Val Shark member for nothing!" As Masked Man's sprint became less professional and more barbaric his stomps grew heavier and the force against the side of the building increased "Bullets will never touch me!" he shouted violently, his demonic eyes of two duelling colours bulging out if their sockets. The disturbance of the space around him reached a new level with concrete spilling off the disintegrating building and knocking bullets asunder, some firing off in other directions and others halting entirely before falling at regular speed down to the ground.

"P-Prepare for combat!" cried Fabrico, his cool diminishing. Mike threw his Megaforce Assault Rifle or MF-AR to the ground in a fit of rage as he backed away so the melee fighters could step up to the front to meet Masked Man. Mighty, Big Gen and Yashako marched forward with false confidence, knowing in their heart of hearts they couldn't halt the advance. Masked Man's stomps became wilder still and his arms swayed back and forth like giant pendulums.  
"I think he's charging up a punch or something..!" squeaked Yashako as she tugged down at her skirt which was rippling upward from the gust of the oncoming storm.  
"Don't break form!" ordered Fabrico who deep down was equally stressed and was just putting on a brave face "Hold your ground!" A fierce snarl split across Masked Man's face as he leapt off of the building's wall, finally above the building itself, as if hovering and charging a blow more destructive than anything before.  
"N-NO. RETREAT!" pleaded Fabrico at the last second, how could he send his own troops openly into certain death. As Masked Man brought forth his fist Fabrico felt a brush on his shoulder and was immediately filled with reassurance and a flash of blue and red rocketed past him. Masked Man's first impacted hard, but not against the three who met him at the rooftop, a fourth who had dashed forward at the last minute.

Masked Man's eyes widened as he looked upon what had stopped him with equal force. Knuckles against knuckles, another outstretched fist met with his, and at the end of it a familiar blue uniform, flaming gauntlets and puffy brown hair. Jacky Noboru had arrived at the scene, Wingdom's Golden Boy and Master Saga's latest and greatest disciple.  
"No way…" uttered Funneh "Jacky is gonna fight Bon Seagal here and now?"  
"That's not Bon Seagal." Said SogeMoon obliviously. "I don't get it, that's Masked Man the Val Shark."  
"GUYS, STOP. IT IS OBVIOUSLY BON, CLEARLY…" but then it clicked. As Funneh looked about he could tell from the Megaforce's faces that they knew this…Half-masked Man was actually Bon Seagal, they just didn't want to believe it to be true, that this pillar of Wingdom was in fact a member of the Val Sharks. The two heroes flung back, Jacky landing on the rooftop with a hard tap and Masked Man crunching to the ground so forcefully that the building shook.  
"I don't want to fight you, Masked Man" Said Jacky immediately "But there is someone much like you who I'd like to settle the score with. Someone who had the same Master as I do now. Someone who I realised betrayed us until only a few seconds ago. " Masked Man didn't react, he just stared Jacky down and remained unchanged. "How long have you been with the Val Sharks?" continued Jacky very seriously "Did they pay you? Do you just like to hurt others? You never went easy on me when we sparred at the Dojo." Masked Man remained silent, looking down at the exasperated Jacky. All of the eyes of the Megaforce, Zen, Cat Burglar and the four down below were transfixed. "How long?!" repeated Jacky desperately.  
"From the very beginning." replied Bon Seagal, expressionless. "B-But..I am not who you think I am. I am Masked M-"  
"Okay…If you say so." said Jacky definitely. The air was tense but many wondered what was the full story and history to this discussion. "You couldn't just be the best could you?" said Jacky folding his arms in frustration "You wanted more, I've always strived to be the #1 Fighter in Wingdom but you were always one step ahead of me, even until the day where I was permanently #2! I was always so driven to one day surpass you and take your position…" Funneh looked down at his Prominence Cross gauntlets which he remembered he had chosen to imitate Jacky. What drove Funneh? Did he want to surpass Jacky like he wanted to surpass Bon? "…and all the while you were a Val Shark?!" cried Jacky, whose voice was now trembling slightly.  
"Saga is getting old, boy." said Bon coldly "Bob has plans for this world that Saga could never compare with, with his peaceful ideals." Bon adjusted his mask slightly and brushed the exposed half of his face. "I must go now." Bon zoomed past Jacky who stood still and mentally wounded.  
"Not so fast!" yelled Mike who ran up to his MF-AR and aimed it at Bon as he ran further away "Let's see how you like the taste of these bullets, they'll definitely get you this time you son of-"  
"Stand down Mike! That's an order." said Fabrico adamantly. Mike shot Fabrico an angry look as he frustratedly glanced back at Bon who was already disappearing from view.


	31. Street Fight Pt7

Lunar Antics Chapter 30 – Street Fight pt.7

After the Jacky and Masked Man stand-off the situation had transformed completely from a Street Fight into a mass arrest and chase. The lower class Val Sharks who had previous come on fair "Street-Fighting" terms were now being hunted and cornered by Megaforce Members who held strong grudges and were of a much higher rank. Jacky remained solemn-faced on the rooftop where moments ago he had let Bon slip away.

Mike in a burst of anger lashed out his disappointment from the escape onto the battlefield, guns blazing and taking it out on the Val Sharks.  
"P-P-Please, don't!" whimpered the tanned orange-haired Val Shark Bichiruma "We didn't know it'd come to this..! We didn't know our superior was going to show up!"  
"It doesn't matter!" spat Mike who had Mighty with a baseball bat and Big Gen with a giant toxic chemical-filled needle flanked at his left and right "You're a Val Shark! Your ultimate plan is to destroy Wingdom!" Bichiruma and the other Val Sharks were cornered and began to flock into each other like sheep in a herd  
"Yes..But…But…!" Bichiruma had no excuse for that, they were at the end of the day the primary villains of Wingdom.  
"But It's a Street Fight!" Mike spun around, face to face with SogeMoon who had spoken up, followed by Fake Nazenu, MokoLaw and Funneh "regardless of who you are, what you hope to achieve and everything else the Street Fight is a no-questions asked brawl, nothing more. People leave their preconceptions and ideals at the door."  
"And who do you think you are?" probed Mike aiming his gun directly at SogeMoon now "Another Masked Villain who's secretly a respected fighter?"  
"A Masked HERO" corrected SogeMoon charismatically before cheekily adding "but the latter is true…" More Megaforce Members had hit the scene now, all brandishing weapons, even Van Rajni who looked nervous and who Funneh immediately recalled as one of the first Street Fighters at the battle this evening.  
"So what does it matter if those are _The laws of Street Fight;_ The fact stands that what you are all doing is illegal, a non-official GAT battle is not permitted outside of the GAT Stadium.  
"Oh how much you don't know…" everybody looked up to the source of the hushed yet prominent voice. Dressed entirely in brown from his suit to his hat – Zen the informant who had been tending to Cat Burglar (Gosei in disguise) up by the water tank stepped forward. "I have my orders from the General himself" he continued whilst holding up a piece of paper "but first I must request that you all clear off immediately, and two representatives of Megaforce and Lunar remain.  
"What if there isn't enough Lunar members present?" asked SogeMoon inconspicuously "I think this man Funneh here is the only Lunar Member involved in this Street Fight." Zen stared down at SogeMoon blankly and unimpressed, he seemed to know the obvious truth like Funneh.  
"I'm sure one of you mysterious strangers can pass on the information to Lunar's Leader Laurie…Moon, right Soge…Moon?" SogeMoon seemed to think very hard about this – too hard as he rubbed his chin and scratched his head. 'He's obviously pretending' thought Funneh 'but rather half-assedly…'  
"I will stay then." He said finally.  
"I shall as well." said Fabrico over the hurried footsteps of random Street Fighters and escaping Val Sharks "Mike, on me. The rest of you go back to headquarters." Mike was furious, this was the last straw  
"But Fabrico! The Val Sharks are getting away!"  
"Stand down, Mike."  
"It's our sole purpose to capture and-"  
"Stand down, Mike!" repeated Fabrico sternly with his piercing ice blue eyes. Mike held his gun tightly in his hands staring daggers up at Fabrico, but he'd just have to take it on the chin, he had been trained well after all. If this message was from General Raizo himself it must be important and outweigh chasing down small-fry Val Sharks.  
"Well, I guess we'll say goodbye." Said Fake Nazenu to the rest of the group his blooded hair beginning to look quite solid and smell foul. "Don't expect us to team up next time, I am definitely Nazenu after all."  
"I better head off too." Said MokoLaw taking a few steps back to be next to the departing Nazenu "Gotta find One Piece, train my doctorial skills, stuff like that."  
"FOR THE LAST TIME, you're not Law! Only I can be One Piece related!" erupted SogeMoon with all his remaining discontent. Funneh rolled his eyes and bid them farewell, he wondered what Kazeru and Mokoalw would be like from now on in front of him, whether they would acknowledge this ordeal they had together or continue to pretend they never participated in a Street Fight. As Fake Nazenu and MokoLaw wondered off away from the street the whole area had become deserted – It's usual daytime appearance when Street Fights weren't on.

Funneh turned to SogeMoon who was still staring off into the middle-distance, his masked face hidden of his emotions. The mask suddenly tilted to face him  
"Shall we take the stairs then?"


	32. Street Fight Pt8

Lunar Antics Chapter 31 – Street Fight pt.8

As SogeMoon led the way up the side-stairs to the rooftop Funneh caught an up close glance at the gigantic craters of destruction up along the side of the building caused by Masked Man's, or Bon Seagal's stomps.  
'Raw power alone..' thought Funneh. It would be an idealistic dream of anyone to be as powerful as that, and it was no wonder Jacky had respected him and strived to match him. How would it feel having that sort of figure in your life snatched away and replaced by the truth that all along he had been a Val Shark, somehow working his way up from the inside for reasons unknown. Funneh couldn't imagine what would be going through Jacky's head, and as they finally trudged up to the top of the roof there was Jacky Noboru surrounded by Zen, Mike, Fabrico and The Cat Burglar, who was now fast asleep due to some medication. Jacky stood exactly where he had been a few minutes ago as Masked Man got away, and presumably hadn't moved since.  
"You can stay if you want to." Said Zen in his hushed and serious voice "But it doesn't really concern you if you'll allow me to be frank."  
"Zen!" hissed Fabrico suddenly "Don't be so unsympathetic, he's just been through a tolling mental ordeal."  
"No, it's fine, Fabrico" said Jacky staring at the ground and his voice croaky and dry from not speaking or moving the slightest for several minutes "I need to go anyway, I uh.." Jacky stopped momentarily to clear his throat "I need to tell Master Saga about Bon…" It sounded to Funneh that Jacky could say the words but had no idea how he would actually act it out – telling Master Saga that his best disciple had been a Val Shark all along. Funneh felt bad for Jacky, but there was nothing to be done or said.  
"Well, we will see you back at HQ later and fill you in." said Fabrico  
"Excuse me, you don't even know what the message is." Interrupted Zen forwardly  
"Well whatever then!" grumbled Fabrico fleetingly losing his composure "Jacky, we will talk soon."  
"Yeah, catch you later, Jacky!" added Mike. Jacky nodded whilst still staring down at the ground.  
"You'll be hearing more about me soon, #2!" said SogeMoon heroically but coming off more like a cocky asshole.  
"#1 now I supposed…" replied Jacky sorrowfully making no eye-contact.  
"Jacky," the named escaped Funneh before he realised what he was doing, but to his amazement Jacky's big eyes glanced up to stare face to face at Funneh, something in his tone had piqued Jacky's interest almost telepathically. "I..I really respect you. Uh, I even got these prominence cross gauntlets to be a little like you but…" Funneh had no idea what he was saying as he looked down at his gauntlet s and away from Jacky's gaze. "One day I'll make it big too." Funneh pulled out some hidden courage and was able to look into Jacky's eyes "One day I'll surpass even you. And I know for sure you'll never become a Val Shark, right?" Jacky looked almost lost in thought, he fire gauntlets flickered brightly as if something in his heart had also ignited with this. Then suddenly there was a roar of flame and a broad smile on Jacky's f ace, one Funneh had never seen before – not a smile he would make for publicity posters or magazine articles, but a smile Jacky must wear only in the heat of combat, genuine excitement for a good fight – The ability to Get Amped.  
"I'll hold you to that." He replied with newfound pride. Funneh could feel himself flush somewhat as his eyes darted away from Jacky's nervously  
"I, uh, I'm just flushed from the heat is all...the flame gauntlets is, they're…Yup."  
"Now if you don't mind…" droned Zen rudely  
"ZEN- I am serious!" burst Fabrico, his annoyance at an all time high.  
"I'll be seeing you in the GAT Stadium then, I'm Jacky by the way." He put his hand out politely  
"Funneh," replied Funneh, grabbing his hand and shaking it, their gauntlets and flames meeting and burning brighter.  
"And I'm the incomparable SogeMoon!" but the handshake had ended and Jacky was already walking away  
"Good luck." Said Jacky with a wave without turning around.  
"You too!" called Funneh who wondered how Master Saga would take the news about Bon.

"I won't delay any longer," said Zen impatiently adjusting his hat "What I tell you must not be disclosed to anyone who wasn't here at the Street Fights this evening; or so risk the exposure of Street Fighting." Funneh's eyes widened and his eyebrows furrowed in both surprise and confusion  
'Risk the exposure..?' through Funneh 'but why would they protect it? Surely by exposiong Street Fighting the General could stop it in one fell swoop.'  
"Since the beginning of Street Fighting," continued Zen "L.J and the General have been in agreement – Street Fights are permitted as long as death is avoided; much like official GAT Matches. But what makes Street Fighting so alluring is the 'Underground Operations' aspect, giving the impression of a Secret Club or being illegal." Fabrico's head titled slightly as if observing the reactions of Funneh and SogeMoon, his face unchanged and serious. "This is what brings fighters who put everything on the line and keeps out those playing safely." Mike was just as confused as Funneh but Fabrico had now folded his arms and was nodding carefully, SogeMoon's masked face was completely unreadable however.  
"Soooooooooo…What?" said Mike sounding like a dim teenager "Can you give us a breakdown on what you mean?" Zen sighed as if his explanation had been as clear as day.  
"In short…Street Fights will continue so long as it stays underground and the general community of those who Street Fight continue to believe that Street Fighting needs to be kept underground and a secret."  
"Even though it's not really illegal?" said SogeMoon.  
"Even though it is not." Confided Zen.  
"What do we tell our members?" asked Fabrico emotionlessly.  
"Tell them I told the General a cover-up story on the events that transpired today." said Zen hasilty, as if expecting the question "and that L.G said something typical of him…like…'Keep the groove going, babycakes' …Like that."  
"L.J would never say that." Said Fabrico blankly.  
"Babycakes…?" mumbled Mike  
"Well I don't know!" whined Zen out-of-character  
"You should know, aren't you a professional informant or something?" said SogeMoon matter-of-factly.  
"I don't have time for this…" said Zen irritably "I need to get home and water my pot plants."  
"A grown single man like you has pot plants..?" asked Mike curiously  
"Sure, it oxygenates the room, makes it look more colourful and peaceful, plus it's-"  
"That is very quaint." Said SogeMoon cheerfully "A grown single man with potted plants and flowers. You must be sensitive at heart." Funneh couldn't help but chuckle at the three skilled fighters ganging up and teasting Zen in such a silly fashion.  
"H-Hey! Who said anything about flowers!" said Zen defensively  
"Oh, well I just thought because you said colourful…" muttered SogeMoon scratching the brown hair at the back of his head.  
"and 'A grown single man'? Why do you keep saying that, what's with that?"  
"Well are you seeing anyone?" asked Fabrico innocently, but with his emotionless tone sounding like an interrogation of sorts. Zen put his hands in his pockets and raised his eyebrows, attempting to be casual but he was clearly blushing.  
"Linda just thought potted plants in my house would-"  
"LINDA?!" bellowed Fabrico so loud and forced his entire torso leant forward and his arms flung back. Zen's face was redder than Fake Nazenu's knotted bloodied hair from earlier, and with no more clarification Zen scurried off quickly, stumbling and nearly tripping up in the process.

Almost ignoring the situation SogeMoon appeared pushed up right beside Fabrico with a permenant marker and a box of cereal  
"Hey, Fabrico, could you please sign my box of Fabric'O's?" he asked politely "My sidekick Squire M'Buffins is a big fan of the cereal…Not you though! Hahaa-oh.." Fabrico who towered over SogeMoon just gazed down at him sternly. Reluctantly he took the pen, signed the box then threw it back, which SogeMoon fumbled to catch successfully.  
"On me, Mike. Let's go back to Headquarters."  
"Roger." Responded Mike glancing up at him then back over to SogeMoon and Funneh  
"It was very nice to meet you," said Fabrico with a nod "Laurie and Funneh of Lunar." He added before leaping off the rooftop.  
"I-I'M NOT..HOW-WH- HEY!" stammered SogeMoon horrificly.  
But it was too late to try and defend himself, Mike and Fabrico had already parted, and Funneh swore he could see a slight smirk on Fabrico's generally serious face.  
"WELL! Put it there, friend!" said SogeMoon suddenly, slapping Fabrico's back and taking his hand "You did well today, maybe we shall Street Fight again someday! In fact, I am certain because I'm gonna be King of the P-uhh-Street Fighters!" and with a whirl of his bright red cape he dashed off down onto the street and out of sight.

It was incredibly late by the time Funneh returned to the Guild Room safely, he had only just realised it had gone on much later than usual with all the drama that had kicked off. Whilst brushing his teeth before bed he ignored the awkward Kazeru washing his hair in the sink basin who nervously glanced up and was convinced he was hidden from Funneh. Then falling like an aged tree Funneh collapsed into his bed and instantly fell asleep without a second consideration of the events that had transpired that evening.


	33. Street Fight EPILOGUE

Lunar Antics Chapter 32 – Street Fight EPILOGUE

The day after the Iconic Street Fight and the reveal of Masked Man's identity was Lunar's "Bacon and Egg on Toast Breakfast" which was a guild event that occurred once a fortnight and several guild members had attended for a free meal. Funneh however sat there with not even a shred of bacon, just a bland fried egg on some unbuttered toast. He was feeling empty, physically from food but more importantly emotionally from the Street Fight.

What was Jacky going to do? Would Mokoalw, Kazeru and Laurie pretend they weren't even there? As he looked up the table and saw the three scattered about and talking to other guildies, or in Laurie's case silently enjoying his "Bacon and Bacon on Bacon Breakfast" which he had instead of egg and toast. Why was he so intent on eating and not conversing with anyone?  
"Hey, you're 'Funny' right?" from behind Funneh and absolute blur of green consumed his whole vision. The green haired, green clothed charismatic guildie was standing beside the table  
"Funneh, yeah" he replied with subtle correction  
"Oh hi, yeah, we've never spoken before. But why would we? Well…I mean, we haven't had a reason yet is all!" He stared down at Funneh vacantly for a short while with a smile on his face "Really good spread here, don't you think…OH I'm Atticus by the way" He added holding out his hand. Funneh raised his own hand, but instead of a regular hand-shake Atticus briefly gripped Funneh's hand which as if with the force of a thousand gorillas could've snapped Funneh's ligaments into pieces. Funneh whinced and pulled his hand back quickly then looked up at Atticus aggressively.  
"I love Bacon and Eggs." Said Atticus ignoring the exchange like it was every-day news. "Not as much as pizza though! When's the next Pizza Party by the way? I'm gonna ask if I-"  
"Do you need something or what?" said Funneh trying desperately to hide his irritation.  
"Oh yeah! Got a letter for you, I was told to pass it on to you!"  
'The Street Fighters?! So soon?!' thought Funneh as he snatched the envelope from Atticus' loose hand  
"So about that next Pizza Party," continued Atticus ecstatically "I remember last time there was no pepperoni and that really upset me, I says to Laurie, I says; UM I don't mean to be mean or anything but who DOESN'T want Pepperoni Pizza at a Pizza Party! I think that-"  
"Um, I'd like to read this letter now if you don't mind." Interrupted Funneh as politely as he could. Atticus nodded profusely  
"My apologies, my apologies. Read on." Atticus remained where he stood looking humble but quite obviously peeking at the envelope  
"In private!" erupted Funneh no longer containing his restraint  
"OH- I getcha! Alright well catch you later then 'Funny', it was nice meeting you!"  
'Too friendly and strong for his own good…' thought Funneh as he watched Atticus wander up the table to most likely converse with Laurie about 'the next Pizza Party'.

Funneh's attention darted back to the envelope, what was there to announce about Street Fights? Would they be cancelled? Did LJ or The General have something personal to address about what had happened? This letter did not have the usual Orange Fist wax stamp so it must be from someone different. The more Funneh looked at it he began to realise this was not even 'a letter' as such, it was simply a folded piece of standard paper.  
"Open it already, man!" came the cry of Atticus who had sneakily been keeping an eye on Funneh as he walked up the table. Funneh rolled his eyes and grinned then unfolded the paper;

 **Next time we fight for real. All for one, and one against all.**

The message was unsigned, but looking around curiously Funneh saw Kazeru with a piece of paper in his hand and looking equally bewildered, then Moko as well. Then with absolute certainty looking to the head of the table Funneh looked at Laurie, munching on bacon with Atticus lecturing him on his left. For a split second Funneh saw him grin and flicker his eyes to Funneh, before reverting to his bacon and listening to Atticus.  
Funneh, Kazeru and Moko understood clearly as they all looked up and down the table at one another, concealing smiles and eagerness.

The Street Fighting days were not over.

End of the Street Fight Arc!

I promise I will try never to do an arc as long as this again, and if I do I will include more guild members and give everyone a chance in the spotlight!  
Thank you for reading, many more Lunar Antics to come!


	34. Atticus' Pizza Party

Lunar Antics Chapter 32 – Atticus' Pizza Party

Lunar's Pizza Party had been a hot topic since Atticus had had a private word with Laurie. And if it wasn't the topic then he made it so by popping up unexpectedly to talk about it; While guildies were undertaking a mission he'd pop up  
"Meaty with a hint of spice, MMM, that's pepperoni!" While guildies were sunbathing at the beach,  
"Hawaiian is pretty good! Smooth yet sweet…!" Rumour had it he'd appeared when CoolKid was taking a shower "I'm itchin' for some sausage…Pizza!"

Oddly enough BananaMan, Kiro and Gosei had talked about the matter whilst harmlessly hanging out in the guild room but suddenly the conversation became serious when they realise that these 'Pizza Parties' had started around the time Atticus joined the guild.  
"I mean, I like pizza as much as the next guy," said BananaMan casually leaning back a little too far in his chair "but that guy REALLY loves pizza."  
"Yeah!" agreed Gosei vivaciously "He doesn't need to shove his love for pizza down our throats all the time!"  
"He's not forcing you to eat it or anything." said Kironaka who in recent months had become much more outspoken than she used to. "I host guild events and it's not compulsory to join them – Just like these Pizza Parties."  
"Uuuhhh, did you see the state CoolKid was in the other day?" said BananaMan "He was mortified, that 'rumour' did actually happen…although I don't know about Atticus saying sausage pizza...nice embellishment though, heh." Kiro frowned, she didn't like to think the worst of people, but perhaps something WAS wrong with Atticus. People had a favourite food, sure. She knew Renshin liked Cereal, Kazeru liked chicken nuggets, but with Atticus it was something monsterous. Pizza consumed him, almost as much as he consumed pizza.

"We need to get to the bottom of this." Said Gosei with an air of certainty.  
"It's not a secret or anything you know." The voice of Atticus alerted the group as the man himself appeared from behind the tree in the centre of the Guild Room. Gosei yelped in surprise and BananaMan's chair-leaning finally reaped karma and he fell over backwards. Kiro remained unphased, the amount of times the central tree had been used for surprise entries was too high to count and was getting old. The most iconic occasion being Laurie who had told several guildies he had ambused two omusa members from there. _(See Chapter 21!)  
_ "A-AAAAAH-ATTICUS!" cried BananaMan who fumbled about on the floor, rubbing his sore bottom that had cushioned most of the fall.  
"It's true, all of the rumours about me loving pizza." Said Atticus solemnly  
"Well duh…" muttered Gosei  
"But it's not that I just love pizza. It gives me power. It charges THIS!" Atticus drew from being sheathed on his back a gigantic fire-looking sword  
"SHH-SHHHHHHHHH-SHIT THROWING FUCKMONGER!?" cried BananaMan who continued to fumble about on the floor in shock. But Kironaka was once again more reserved and by examining carefully she noticed the sword was definitely large but not as oversized as Laurie's most hated sword. It was flowing vertically with lava which seemingly circulated underneath a rocky surface, undoubtably shaped as a long blade. But was it really molten rock, lava and stone?  
"I've seen that accessory before – The Basalt Claymore, right?" said Kiro knowlegably.  
"Close, but no Pizza" replied Atticus. Gosei looked dumbfounded,  
"Isn't is Cigar..?"  
"This sword is similar to a regular Basalt Claymore, but with my own personal twist." As none-threateningly as possible Atticus approached the trio, sword brandished and held it up for the others to inspect. Helping BananaMan to his feet the three looked closely at the sword. It was unbelievable at a closer view the lava was bubbling liquid cheese, stringy and glistening and the hard rock was in fact crispy crust with burning chilli paste stuffing and spicy pepperoni cubes. "It might sound weird but depending on how much pizza I eat the more powerful the sword becomes. The heat changes to affect speed and new toppings can be added for attack or defence!" Gosei was drooling with his mouth open;  
"I can't decide if I'm drooling over the status changing for the sheer deliciousness!"  
"If only that accessory was actually in GetAmped 2…" said Kironaka longingly.  
"Eh?" sounded Atticus curiously.  
"N-Nothing. Say, Atticus, you don't need to keep…"  
"Uh oh, Kiro's going in for some real talk." thought Gosei  
"You don't need to keep reminding people about the Pizza Party - people will turn up." Atticus' face became orderly focused which was very abnormal from his typical cheery self.  
"But what if they don't…"  
"OH, come on Atticus!" burst Gosei defusing the situation "You're offering FREE PIZZA! in the GUILD room! No one has to go far at all! Of course you'll get a turn out."  
"Anyone who's around will definitely be there, look no further than my guild events." smiled Kiro "Not much planning people just turn up at a time and it goes ahead."  
With a sigh and a smile Atticus sheathed the sword on his back which BananaMan noticed took on the form of an ordinary sword in the process  
"Thanks Kiro," Atticus said sincerely "but umm-AHEM- well I better shoot off and prepare those pizzas! I won't pester people, but there is going to be a sweet Atticus-supreme pizza with cake-thick toppings on top!"  
"Wait-you make the pizzas!" cried Gosei surprised  
"I better see all of you guys there! Not that I'm forcing you but it's going to be sweet. Also you should not eat anything beforehand because-"  
"Ok! Byeee!" cried BananaMan whimsically and falling back into his chair.

Sure enough later that evening the Pizza Party went off without a hitch and Atticus' pizzas were legendary. Laurie approved of the event and couldn't figure out why he was so sceptical of it in the first place, and in addition to everyone eating more than they could handle Atticus had cooked Renshin and Kazeru specialty pizzas crafted personally for them with cereal and chicken nugget toppings respectfully. Kiro, BananaMan and Gosei hadn't moved all day and subsequently got themselves the best seats in the whole guildroom with easy access to a wide variety of pizzas. And as the three of them ate together Kironaka couldn't help but smile over at Chef Atticus who was aiding the Guild Chef Ramona on how to roll a pizza base. It was great to have everyone together even if it wasn't for a big event with a prize like Kironaka usually hosted. Just the act of getting together and having fun was a sufficient experience for everyone.


	35. Our Favourite Things

Lunar Antics Chapter 34 – Our Favourite Things

"Wha?" grunted Renshin through a hearty mouthful of cereal crumbs, down his shirt and a belly poking out at the bottom.  
"I said what is your favourite thing in the whole world?" repeated Gosei with pen and paper in hand and ready to write down.  
"DUHR, CEREAR!" said Renshin shoving another fistful of un-milk soaked "Fabric-O's" cereal into his mouth.  
"I dunno what mine is," said Kazeru bitterly from beside Renshin who was eating "Naz's" cereal one piece at a time "What's YOUR favourite thing?" he added in accusingly. Gosei shrugged,  
"Cat nip." He said like it was a no brainer "cats like a lot of things but they unavoidably crave cat nip. It's good shit, man."  
"It sound like you have a…drug problem, Gosei." Gosei looked over to his right, at a picnic table Laurie sat with a pint glass of apple cider and taking a long swig. Around him sat Shader, CoolKid, Pip and Atticus. Gosei folded his arms in disappointment  
"Speak for yourself, I take it cider is your favourite thing then Laurie? A cheeky cider at 11AM in the Guild Room? You do realise alcohol is a drug too." Laurie looked aghast  
"Huh?! Wh-NO this is apple juice! He exclaimed defensively.  
"Oh reaaaallly?" droned Kazeru "Then why is your drink bubbling like it's carbonated?"  
"Why are you asking for everybody's favourite things anyway?" asked Laurie intentionally ignoring Kazeru.  
"So this year when Christmas comes around I can be prepared..!" replied Gosei excitedly. Shader looked sceptical but everyone else at the table, including Laurie nodded in acceptance.  
"Fair enough," agreed Atticus "WELL, my favourite thing is-!"  
"-Pizza. Laurie what's yours?" said Gosei cutting off Atticus much to his horror.  
"Well most people think it's aquamarines…" said Laurie thoughtfully. "but in actual fact it's mochaccino! A perfect mix of chocolate and coffee – BUT REMEMBER, it shouldn't be a coffee with chocolate, but rather a hot chocolate with coffee! Mind you, there are lots of places that-"  
"Pip, what about you?" said Gosei moving onto the next person while Laurie continued to babble to the others.  
"I really like beanies!" he squeaked energetically "I like my pink one and light blue one most of all, and Christmas is a cold time of year – so if you want to get me one of those in a new colour or pattern that'd make a great gift!" Gosei smiled and scribbled notes on his paper, then looked up politely at Shader and Coolkid for their answers. The two looked at Gosei blankly, as if they weren't even thinking until suddenly with a shrug Coolkid said  
"Crescents..?"  
"Crecsents…" echoed everyone dreamily.  
"Alright, Shader, what's yours?" Shader still looked uncertain, but she had been acting this way all along  
"I don't know… I'm like Kazeru then, he didn't say his either." Everyone glanced awkwardly at one another as if they were all thinking the same thing.  
"But you sound as if you know what your favourite thing is but you don't want to tell us…" said Gosei carefully.  
"Is it expensive?" said Pip  
"Is it DIRTY!?" burst Coolkid  
"NO!" erupted Shader "My favourite thing is the surprise of getting something personal and thoughtful." The group once again shared glances around one another. "Even if it's not my real favourite thing it's just nice to get something someone put their own effort into getting… But if you must know my favourite thing is stylish hats!" she added with a glare at CoolKid  
"It's still dirty if you think about it." He retorted, yet unconvinced by his own words.  
 _"You know what…"_ Gosei looked over toward the sorrowful voice – Renshin with tears in his eyes _"Shader's right…You've got to surprise people with gifts they don't know they'll want until they've got it – not ask them for their favourite thing and give them that."_  
"Well I don't think so…" said Pip grumpily  
"No, I think Renshin is right." Said Gosei who immediately started shredding up his paper "I'll get everyone something I think they'll like, and take a chance and hope they like it. Except you Pip! A beanie it is, but I won't say what it'll look like!" Pip looked up pieces of ripped up paper in his hand  
"Sorry what was that I wasn't listening? UH-UMM. These are…these pieces of paper are uuhhh, from something else! Yeah!"

Christmas was still many months away, but Shader's view had changed everybody's considerations on what gifts to get. And who would've through that Renshin of all people would be so moved he would be in tears.  
"Renshin that was nice and all," said Kazeru patting Renshin's shoulder "but it's not worth getting emotional over."  
"No." said Renshin with a sob "My cereal is all gone…!" Kazeru nodded and solemnly shed a single tear  
"I feel your pain…" he whispered.


	36. Animal Divide Pt1

Lunar Antics Chapter 35 – Animal Divide Pt.1

Laurie had been off on a short holiday away from Wingdom for over a week and although it had been a lot of fun he was ready to get back into the old swing of things with GAT matches, Guild events and just chatting with guildies. None of this was what he received when he arrived back at the guild room where no one awaited to green him.  
"Hello?!" ringed Laurie's voice across the empty guildroom – Even Gillman the Guild Supply man who technically wasn't an official Lunar member wasn't present. "Where the heck is everyone…" he grumbled to himself  
"Gagghah…ohhh.." croaked the tree in the centre of the guildroom. Laurie gasped and dashed to the base of the tree  
"This tree must be thirsty! No one has watered it the whole time I've been away. It's in such bad condition that it's even croaking!"  
"N-No…" groaned a voice which now that Laurie was closer he realised was from behind the tree. A dark black-brown mound of spiky hair poked out from behind the tree. In a ripped coat and ragged green scarf a worn-out Aquila rested against the tree trunk.  
"It's youuuuuuu-Aouughh…hoaghh!" spluttered Aquila in an exhausted but hysterical cough. "It's you, your back, the guild can be saved..!"  
"Saved!?" burst Laurie in shock "Aquila, what are you talking about, where is everyone?"  
"Shortly after you left on holiday Lunar…" the words seemingly escaped his lips, as if he himself still hadn't come to terms with what had happened "Lunar disbanded…Unofficially or something, I don't know…" Laurie was aghast, that was insane and couldn't be right. Everyone knew he was coming back  
"What happened?" he asked trying to stay calm. Aquila's head was rolling as the shock finally got to his system and he became dizzy.  
"Disagreement…Protest…Two sides, all at Spin Square."  
'oh shit,' thought Laurie 'Mass arguing and fighting at Spin Square? Home of debate and graffiti on the public bulletin board?' If a guild squabble became public the image of Lunar would become horrible, no new members would want to join and the Val Sharks or another guild could easily erase their presence across Wingdom as one of the top Organisations.

"I'm going to Spin Square." Said Laurie definitively standing up from the lying down Aquila.  
"It's impossible…" said Aquila, now in a whisper as his eyes grew heavier "It's impossible not to pick a side…That's why they did this to me…"  
"What are these two sides?" asked Laurie leaning close to Aquila. But it was too late, Aquila was already unconscious from sheer fatigue. Laurie had to get down to Spin Square pronto to fix this dilemma. He sprinted off to the front of the guild room and leapt off – which took off a quarter of his health and caused him to instantly jump back up again.  
"Ah shit.." he said as he returned to the guild room "wrong edge." He then ran over to the left side of the guild room and jumped off, this time successfully continuing to fall through the sky. Rotating and picking up speed the Spin Square down below came into view. As the ground came quickly toward him the ability all fighters of all ranks in Wingdom came into effect – sustaining any form of damage from falling from a high height.  
Laurie landed heavily on his wooden sandals – the cobblestone path of the Spin Square disintegrated around him as he crunched into it as if they were loose pebbles. He stretched forward to stand upright, unharmed and safe and patted his blue jeans down from any unsettled dust in the air.  
"I knew you'd come back eventually." Came an instantly recognisable and familiar voice from in front of Laurie. "But you're too late. It didn't take long for things to change once you left."  
"I don't want to fight you," said Laurie continuing to keep preoccupied by wiping off the dust from the landing "I just want to talk to the person in charge. I know it's not you so just let me pass and I can-"  
"-SHUT UP." The aggression startled Laurie and forced him to look up face to face with one of the longest serving members of Lunar – OriginalXD who was heavily armed with the runic two-handed sword; The Alastor's Rage.

"You think I'm a good follower or something, eh? Well I guess I am!" he forcibly pointed hard at a golden badge on his chest which Laurie couldn't make the details out of. "Why stick as "a loyal follower of you" when there's a divide in members, an on-going animalistic fight between two sides where we're forced to believe what we think is right and what they think is disgraceful and wrong!"  
"Crap…" muttered Laurie scathingly "What the heck happened while I was gone, why'd everyone separate?" With a smile Original gripped his sword preparing for an assault.  
"Heh…You'll have to figure that one out for yourself. I won't take any more orders, I am NOT your follower anymore and you can't make me do whatever you-"  
Original could've sworn his heart stopped in that moment, in the blink of an eye the concerned Laurie over in his cobblestone imprint seemingly took a single step and warped inches away from Original. All empathy gone from his expression Laurie's face was contorted in anger – His clenched teeth as fangs and his cheeks twisted, his eyes piercing sharper than daggers and nostrils flared. The renowned Secret Case of Laurie Moon, contents unknown, cracked down onto Original with the force of a 100 tonne hammer behind it. No monster, no enemy or rival had ever experienced Laurie like this before or this amount of power – and as one of Lunar's oldest members Original knew this was true. The impact was so intense that not only was Original affected but the surrounding five-eight-TEN metres of thick cobblestone which had blasted out of the ground as Original ripped through it like a hot knife through butter.  
As Original grinded to a halt and lay in the depth of the crater he wondered how he was still conscious. The menacing face of Laurie was just as quick as the first time to get in front of him and leer down while he lay with his back to the ground.  
"Stop it." Ordered Laurie angrily.  
'S-Stop?' thought Original to himself 'Stop what?'  
"I would never, ever think of you or anyone in Lunar as 'a follower'. You're my friend and that's why I expect you to look out for me, and me to you in return." Original couldn't speak, his whole body was numb, but if he could talk he would say Laurie was right, thank him and maybe even give him a hug. He'd tell him that the guild dispute was stupid and worth none of this, that he was just following the masses and he never wanted to get involved from the very beginning, that it was either that or end up like the mangled Aquila.

As Original's head flicked down to the gravel and dirt, Laurie's head tilted up to the riotous encampment that lay before him in Spin Square. Pop-up tents, impressively constructed stone fortresses, fire pits, cages, stone mess halls and more littered the once gorgeous and peaceful Spin Square – All flowers and plantlife deceased, the central fountain no longer functional and now filled with murky dirt and mud-soaked water. All of it replaced by damaged walls, potholes, wooden barricades and all other constructions of medieval warcraft. Laurie could not fathom how all of this went under the radar of Megaforce or anyone to stop this nightmare.  
'Maybe they went on holiday too…?' mocked a small but certain voice in Laurie's head.  
"They probably did…" he mumbled out loud to himself "No Wingdom Events this time of year, it's best to be anywhere but here." But this was not the time for an internal discussion – High above the encampment rose two enormous flags – either of which always in Laurie's field of vision no matter where he looked. One was a forked looking yellow emblem with golden trimming, identical to the one on Original's badge, and the other was a smooth silver circular shape with slick black edges. Once more they meant nothing to Laurie, he couldn't make out the finer details but regardless he was certain he had never seen them before, as guild, group or event logos.

With a deep sigh Laurie matched forward alone, prepared for friend or foe, come what may. He had to find out who could make big waves and even ride them straight to them top position.


	37. Animal Divide Pt2

Lunar Antics Chapter 36 – Animal Divide Pt.2

"A bunch of dirty animals…" grumbled Laurie aloud as he approached a small grey tent and kindling fireplace. The aftermath of an attempt of a carnivorous feast littered the muddy ground at Laurie's feet. Rotting meat mixed with red wine and soggy bread was smeared into the mud and reeked of an abominable stank. Did a battle occur? Why wasn't all this feet eaten?  
"W-Who's there?!" came a Timid voice from inside the tent. Laurie recognised this voice immediately  
"Shader, It's Laurie…Come on out."  
Very slowly Shader emerged from the tent; her brown and purple highlighted hair, her blue jacket and jeans and white hat all splattered with mud and torn in places, the only item on her body was an unscathed golden pin – identical to the golden emblem Laurie had seen flapping in the wind on one of the two flags and the same one Original had worn when he encountered him earlier.  
"You're…that badge…" said Laurie examining it carefully.  
"YOU'RE WITH THEM TOO!?" burst Shader rushing out of the tent and attempting to sprint away from eyeshot.  
"Original was on the same side as you." He continued before she could make a dash. Shader stopped suddenly, realising that of course Laurie of all people wouldn't be a threat. She gave a quick glance up and down his body before avoiding eye contact completely  
"You're not with anyone…" she said carefully.  
"No." Laurie replied, unwilling to explain what he had just done to her apparent comrade "Tell me what happened."  
"We were attacked…!" said Shader suddenly fearful and teary-eyed "All I could do was hide, I didn't want to hurt another guild member but…But when this all started they forced us to choose sides or else…Or else they'd…well…You must've seen Aquila in the guild room – he thought this was all a joke, refused to take sides. The two in charge really are merciless."  
'So it was a mob mentality and bystander effect' thought Laurie 'No one wanted to seem out of line and the majority just took off with it, with two leaders reaping it all up.'  
"Look, I'm sorry, I don't know why I chose this side," said Shader tapping her golden badge "I just prefer them, you know?"  
"Prefer in what way?" said Laurie curiously as he leant down and looked carefully at the badge but couldn't figure it out. 'Shader prefers the colour gold over silver? Or yellow over white…What does it mean?' He leaned down, closer and for better inspection.  
"Scoping in on some TITS are we, Laurie?!" drawled Amatseru from in front of the tent. Laurie jumped backward in surprised but also awkwardly tried to disguise his lean in as a stretch that didn't really work out.  
"He deeeefffiniteeely was." Chimed in Mokoalw, his slit-like eyes and polite but sinister smile masking all emotion.  
"WAAH!" cried Shader "Those two and Renshin took Funneh and Ptruong as prisoners!" Shimmering wildly against the kindling fireplace the flames licked a silver badge parading on both of their chests, blinding Laurie and Shader's eyes momentarily  
"Renshin was on your side?" Laurie asked, his eyes widening.  
"He was indeed." Said Amatseru drawing an Assassin's Kunai from his belt.  
'But why would Original and Renshin be on opposing sides…' Laurie thought to himself. None of it made any sense.  
"Ptruong let slip there was more than one of you," said Moko smiling coldly "so we're here to collect you… Aah, while we're here…" Moko's focus shifted to his guild leader "which side are you on? Better decide now before we have to knock you out like we did to the other rabble earlier."  
"I'm on nobody's side." declared Laurie with prior conviction.  
"Then why protect her?!" burst Amatseru quite forcefully, angry and baffled.  
"Because it's rude to gang up on someone!" Laurie gripped the handle of his Secret case firmly in his right hand and dropped hastily into a battle stance.

Laurie had fought Amatseru and Moko before on friendly terms and won and lost to no determinate amount, but he held a suspicion that this time facing them both on as a team, one of Lunar's deadliest duos, would be nearly impossible.  
"Shader, I'm gonna need your help on this one…" said Laurie quietly without breaking eye contact with their opponents.  
"Way ahead of you, Laurie" smirked Shader adamantly whilst brandishing her powerful weapon of choice – Cheerleading Pom poms.  
"WHAT?! POM POMS!" cried Laurie scolding "You can't serious-" Laurie was cut short literally by several kunai whistling past his head and one piercing quite solidly into his shoulder. Laurie howled in pain as Amatseru immediately responded by switching from range to melee and darting forward. Amatseru lunged upward, kunai in hand and ready to strike, but ripping out the kunai in his shoulder and gritting his teeth Laurie thrust up his secret case and like a steel shield blocked the slash entirely  
"Shader, NOW please!" begged Laurie as he staggered backwards defending Amatseru's consecutive strikes  
"I'll have you know that the pom poms have really good combos and multiple hits – It's just really fun to use and to mess around with!" said Shader matter-of-factly. Flailing his secret cast to the side and repelling all kunai with such a forceful swing, Amatseru was wide open and with Laurie's empty hand he landed a direct fist to the chest, knocking Amatseru backwards.  
"Shader, there's a time and place for everything," demanded Laurie while he was free of battle and could turn to face her "Don't use an accessory for fun here, get out your STRONGEST weapon! I don't care which!" Amatseru had fallen over into the empty fire pit and was now behind helped up by Moko. Amatseru looked grumpily at his ash-covered clothes and slightly burnt sleeve while Moko spawned a blue steel twin-edged warbler and looked calmly over at Laurie and Shader with his disturbing smile.  
"I have a Wind Cross device." Said Shader ponderingly "But it's been having trouble activating lately, I wouldn't feel right using it. Let me show you the pom poms! I promise you they're just as strong as fighting with any martial artist gear!"  
"NO POM POMS!" spat Laurie "Just use the Wind Cross! Here they come!" Laurie stood his ground and protected Shader who muttered as she drew her weapon, Amatseru and Moko sprinted forward, the warbler and kunai twirling about as vicious blurs. With the propellers inside their micro ultra-powered jets Shader's faulty Wind Cross took time, so it was up to Laurie to hold off Amatersu and Moko. But he knew he could do it so long as he could knock them both back, even if just for a little bit then Shader would be able to launch an unrelenting gust. Judging from their speed Laurie predicted they would run straight towards them and before they arrived Laurie could begin to counter them. Spinning once on the spot and building momentum behind his fist he shifted forward to punch both Moko and Amatseru to send them flying. His fist flung forward into thin air – the two attackers had vanished. It was a feint all along, and as if in slow motion Laurie looked up to see the two soaring above him and twisting to face in backward. There was no chance of defence now, and as Laurie halted his momentum he watched the distressed Shader's eyes widen in fear. Amatseru grinned sinisterly as wired kunai rained down on her and Moko flung forward his twin edge warbler while mouthing the wards under his breath;  
"JP Style…!" Laurie's eyes bulged in shock and irritation – of course, how didn't he realise it sooner!? Moko and Amatseru were masters of an old eastern continents way of fighting, however whether Wingdom had an easter continent wasn't certain… With this style jumping about the enemy can cause misdirection and confusion for an easy and direct attack.

All of Amatseru's kunai missed, but the goal was achieved as fastened to each and every kunai thick wires scattered everywhere and prevented any and all of Shader's movement. Moko's slash barely slit Shader's skin, but it was enough to knock her unconscious as Laurie realised that the blade of the warbler had been laced with a powerful sleeping serum.  
"Shader!" cried Laurie as she fell over backwards and into a net of wires.  
"Say goodnight, Laurie." came a new voice from behind him. As Laurie spun around to identify the newcomer he saw a shimmer of silver from a badge on their chest before being pummelled across the side of the head with the hilt of a giant sword. As Laurie's eyes rolled back into his head and his body sank forward he heard the assailant's voice once more  
"Might want to use amptium wire on him instead if you've got it? …Oh amptium handcuffs? Even better…!" The two blurred figures of Amatseru and Moko chuckled slightly and advanced forward to Laurie, but he was unable to react as his consciousness slipped away and into complete absent sleep…


	38. Animal Divide Pt3

Lunar Antics Chapter 37 – Animal Divide Pt.3

 **Here is a recap on known Lunarians who are on different sides of the divide:**

Golden Side:

Silver Side:

Unaffiliated:

OriginalXD ( **K/O** )

AmatseruX

Laurie Moon (Prisoner of War)

Shader (Prisoner of War)

Mokoalw

Aquila ( **K/O** )

Funneh (Prisoner of War)

Renshin

Ptruong (Prisoner of War)

? – Who knocked out Laurie

Laurie awoke violently in a cold sweat, his head pulsating and his body numb. Before he could question if it was all a dream, Lunar's divide and every member against one another, he felt his arms bound behind his back and his right leg chained up to the side of a cage which he realised he was inside – A tiny cramped square space. Spread around the outside of the cage was closely-knit tents and silver banners with that now embedded yet unrecognisable emblem rippling in the wind. Laurie wandered if he needed glasses, but continued examining his surroundings. This encampment appeared to be on top of the left sided rooftops of the Spin Square and overlooking the former flower patches and the fountain below, which were now defunct mud piles and dirt. It was a fair assumption to think the golden encampment must be on the opposing rooftop which was unvisable through the thick dark sky.  
"Laurie," croaked Shader's voice. She had been lying on the ground opposite him, tied up with Amatseru's wires. "I'm sorry, I should've just fought back with any accessory. I shouldn't have got so hung up on using those pom poms, or using my Wind Cross which isn't even working properly. If only I had gotten Dr Diaper to have a look at it before all this started, maybe he could repair it or-"  
"It's fine, Shader" said Laurie sympathetically "None of it was your fault – I should take the blame. I'm sure the pom poms would've been great, and I shouldn't have been so stern with you… I'm-uhh…Sorry I got a bit angry."  
"A bit." mocked Shader with a calm smirk. Laurie smiled knowing all was well between them.  
"Laurie? Shader..?!" came a surprised yet reserved voice from the corner of the cage. With the golden emblem badge on his chest was none other than fellow guildie Brian with his familiar grey tunic and bright red gloves.  
"It's ItsBrian! …I mean… Look Laurie, It's Brian!" said Shader excitedly "What're you doing here?!"  
"Got captured by an enemy group whilst scouting, didn't I…" Brian said sadly "What about you guys, where are your badges?" Shader's badge must've been knocked off but she didn't seem all too worried about it but when asked by a team-mate her eyes flickered away nervously. Laurie's pupils dilated however as he replied angrily  
"We don't have ANY SIDES – I'm the GUILD LEADER! Remember?!"  
"Then why did you leave us…" said Brian accusingly but very cautiously.  
"Christ Manteppp," swore Laurie "I just went on holiday for a week. A WEEK! If none of you can allow me that short time off I don't know what to say to you…"  
"Well that's okay now," said Brian standing up – he was unchained all along! "Before I was captured I gave my report to CoolKid to take back to base. They got the intel and have since broken into this encampment and freed me." Laurie was stunned, so much had been achieved by the Golden Side, completely unbeknownst to their captors. "Shader, I can break those cuffs with my free hands and pure strength if you give me a few minutes to tear at them, Laurie, I'm sure you know what you're bound up in…" Laurie stretched back and looked down at the metal on his own chains, it was eerily florescent orange unlike any metal he'd ever seen.  
"Amptium?" said Laurie uncertainly  
"Correct." Answered Brian who had been untangling the spikes on Amatseru's wires that bound Shader "The Galaxy's Strongest Metal…"  
"But last time I saw Amptium it wasn't orange, the Omusa Unit had tempered it into their armor. Surely I've told you the story before." ( _Read Chapters 20-23_ )  
"The Omusas?" said Brian shockingly  
"Lunar as an organisation doesn't have the kind of income for a material so indestructible." stated Laurie in a worried tone "Not to say we're weak or anything! We've got loads of other weaponry available!"  
"Then what are you suggesting?" asked Shader questionably as she felt her hands within the wire loosen  
"It makes me suspect that this whole 'divide of the guild' is their doing – Or at least the Val Sharks…!"

"Psst! Guys!" CoolKid had manifested out of the dark reaches of the encampment and was making a loud jingling noise with every step  
"Ooo! You're back! Good to see- KEEP IT DOWN!" hissed Brian as Shader stretched her arms free with a smile  
"Sorry…I have the key!" said CoolKid lifting a large collection of keys up "But which is the one for the cage…"  
"And which is the one for my cuffs!" added Laurie grouchily.  
"L-LAURIE?! WHAT'S HE DOING HERE?! WHERE'S HIS BADGE!"  
"COOLKID, FOR THE LAST-" Brian shut his eyes tightly and took a deep breath "For the last time keep it quiet…!"  
"Oh no…" muttered CoolKid defeated  
"What is it?" asked Brian who moved away from behind Shader and up to CoolKid at the side of the cage's sealed gate.  
"There's a lot of keys here…I can't possibly try every single one on the cage then every single one on the cuffs, it's going to take hours if not days!"  
"Where are the others?" asked Brian shaking his head and trying to keep the mission briefing along.  
"Oh! They're hidden about the encampment, not our King and his Right Hand though!" replied CoolKid with a smile and beginning to try all the keys one by one. "They are on their way here to meet us right now!"  
'The King?' thought Laurie maliciously. Who could lead with such a bigoted title? Could this be a Val Shark? The one behind this whole 'Lunar Divide'?  
"The One True King approaches!" came a proud yet elegant voice. With eager eyes and broad smiles Brian looked up hopefully and CoolKid stopped checking the keys entirely. Laurie's lips tightened and his fists clenched within the cuffs and behind his back. One of the two perpetrators of this dilemma was about to reveal himself.


	39. Animal Divide Pt4

Lunar Antics Chapter 38 – Animal Divide Pt.4

 **Here is a recap on known Lunarians who are on different sides of the divide:**

Golden Side:

Silver Side:

Unaffiliated:

OriginalXD ( **K/O** )

AmatseruX

Laurie Moon (Bound in Amptium cuffs)

Shader

Mokoalw

Aquila ( **K/O** )

Brian

Renshin

CoolKid

? – Who knocked out Laurie

Funneh (Prisoner of War)

Ptruong (Prisoner of War)

As mud squelched and armor rattled 'The One True King' marched forward through the darkness, his Right Hand lose by. Laurie squinted, struggling to see, but heard Brian and CoolKid suddenly gasp in horror – this was not the Golden King of their group, but the Silver King of the enemy encampment!

Clad from head to toe in dull steel tempered armor yet trimmed with sparkling silver joints, a crystal blue cape and an open-visor helmet was…  
"G-Gosei!?" burst Laurie in shock. "It couldn't be! You're not the leader of the Silver team!"  
"Of course he is!" replied Trace wearing hard-leather and an identical coloured crystal scarf who was none other than 'The King's Right Hand' "our badge is even explicit!" He pointed to the all too familiar badge at his chest. For the first time ever Laurie saw what the emblem truly was, and it wasn't an emblem at all – It was Gosei's face up close and pulling a rather out-of-place surprised expression. Laurie wanted to kick himself hard for not seeing it sooner, but unfortunately his leg was still bound up to the cage's side.  
"So the dogs of war wanted to launch a sneak attack and break-out, hmmm?" said Gosei in a mocking tone  
"BananaMan has reported over the MegaFone that the enemies in holding have been apprehended" said Trace in a very authority-driven tone  
'MegaFone?!' thought Laurie 'But only MegaForce members can use those? Have these been stolen and hacked for usage outside their ranks?' The situation reeked even more of 'Val Shark.'  
"BananaMan is on his way here now, he's very keen to be reunited with his captured prisoner." Grinned Trace towards Laurie.  
'So BananaMan was the one who knocked me out back in Spin Square central…' thought Laurie bitterly 'That whole battle was not my finest hour.'  
"Very good," said Gosei flicking his cape gracefully "Lock up CoolKid with the others. Make sure you throw away the key this time."  
"Wait!" cried Laurie suddenly. Gosei and Trace looked at him blankly  
"You dare stop the One True King in his tracks!" burst Trace like a true Right Hand or Steward  
"I'll allow it." Said Gosei begrudgingly. "Go on…"  
"Ummm…" said Laurie weakly on the floor, in the cage, all bound up. "Let me join the Silver Side?" Gosei scoffed in disbelief, slapped Trace's chest lightly to get him to laugh as well  
"I recall you starting this whole thing Laurie, when you actively stepped down as Guild Leader.

"WHAT!?" cried Shader who jumped up and pressed her head up to the bars like Brian. Laurie was speechless, he had done nothing of the sort  
'Hu hack me' he thought to himself stupidly.  
"Who likes cats, who likes dogs?" said Gosei enigmatically  
'Hold on.' Thought Laurie  
"Cats or dogs, pick a side – Both sides will fight for leadership."  
'Hold on.'  
"Gosei the cat, Pip the dog. You two will lead and whoever wins can take over as-"  
 **"HOLD ON A FUCKING SECOND!"  
** Before Laurie could snap back the gigantic cage was instantly split into two in a splintered explosion of wood and iron. With a pulsating current of electricity everything fragmented in-tact, however Laurie was no longer chained to the side of the cage, nor was there one, and was able to stand up. A gargantuan barbaric figure wielding a lightning charged greatsword had cut down the cage in its entirety freeing its inhabitants.

With sparkling gold armor and a rich red cape the usually small Pip hulked over them – he was possibly controlling his large unnaturally metallic limbs remotely from inside the armored chest.  
"Hello!" he greeted cheerfully with a squeak "ButlerBows, help my subjects to their feet!"  
"I'm not ButlerBows, I'm SilverBows!" moaned SilverBows walking forward to help the others  
"Not anymore! Not while the Silver Army stands you will not call yourself SilverBows!"  
"I don't mind GoldenBows though, can't I just be-"  
"BUTLERBows it is!"  
"H-Hey..!"  
"Right Hand! Read them my conditions!" Kironaka emerged in ringed chainmail and a short crimson cloak drawing a long, long roll of parchment. With a sharp intake of breath she then sighed it all out and said casually  
"Can't you read them this time?" Pip looked aghast  
"I am the King! This is the Enemy King!" Kironaka rolled her eyes, unwilling to hear more "This is the most important time you will ever read my conditions! I demand you read them!"  
"Can I just say something real quick…" cut-in the bound up Laurie who now stood among the rivalling groups  
"Fine, but be prompt!" grumbled Pip who didn't even acknowledge that this was 'former Guild Leader' Laurie he was talking to. Laurie didn't know how to say what he wanted to so quickly without annoying any of the rivalling Kings;  
"Okay well…I think this is all bullshit."  
"GOOD HEAVENS!" burst Trace instantly  
"and I would never force the guild to choose a leader based on whether they like cats or dogs more." Continued Laurie unrelentingly "Lunar has never had MegaFones or…ARRGH…" he hastily attempted to rip apart his cuffs but could not "…Fucking amptium either. But you know who has? The Val Sharks." The group all looked about suspiciously for a moment. Shader's mouth hung open slightly as if grasping at the idea and having suspected the truth all along. Trace looked down at the MegaFone in his hand, questioning how he came into possession of it.  
"Pip, Gosei – When I came to you saying I was 'stepping down as Guild Leader' yada, yada… Did I have black hair and red eyes per chance?" Pip and Gosei; War-Kinds and arch enemies looked at one another as if they were one in the same person.  
"Nooo..?" they said in unison  
"What a joker he is…Just like me though, right?" said Laurie shaking his head and finally figuring it all out "Kiro," he said turning to face her "Anti-Laurie!" Kiro's mouth opened but her expression was unchanged as she let out a steady;  
"Ooooooohhhh…" Pip and Gosei looked aggressive, the gig was up and if memory served Kiro and Laurie correct from their first meeting with Anti-Laurie _(Read Chapter 8)_ he could control people mentally and physically. The entire group immediately draw spawned weapons, even Kiro and Trace the supposed 'Right Hands' turned against their Kings. The bound-up Laurie however did not as the amptium cuffs prevented this ability. Shader, CoolKid, Brian, Trace, ButlerBows and Kiro up against the armored Pip and Gosei; Their chances looked obvious. Laurie flailed about his arms bound in amptium chains before giving up and saying regardless "Anti, I think you should give up. The numbers are clearly against you."  
There was a brief silence, nothing but increased breathing from the two united sides and their hands gripping against their weapons  
"I think not, Laurie Moon." From the dark reaches of the encampment came the eerie voice identical to that of Laurie, yet strangely harsh and cold. A march of footsteps more than one person's all in unison followed behind him. "You gave me a week to spread my manipulation abilities across the guild – This won't be like last time."  
"No. It won't be." Said Kironaka slyly and full of confidence toward the unknown advancing footsteps "This time I won't just avoid and confuse you. I will beat you completely."  
"Oh really?" mocked the voice of Anti-Laurie "You won't hold back against me? Well what about your friends?"

'No…' thought Laurie. He couldn't have possessed a wider group of guild members? Who exactly did he have at his side to fight against them? And how many?' Putting the past behind them the newly reunited group of Lunar guildies prepared to battle against their own, and the new-found mastermind of the Animal Divide. Silver Cats or Golden Dogs. Really?


	40. Animal Divide Pt5

Lunar Antics Chapter 39 – Animal Divide Pt.5

 **Here is a recap on known Lunarians who are on different sides of the divide:**

Golden Side:

Silver Side:

Unaffiliated:

King: Pip (Possessed)

King: Gosei (Possessed)

Laurie Moon (Bound in Amptium cuffs)

Right Hand: Kironaka

Right Hand: Trace

Aquila ( **K/O** )

Steward: SilverButlerBows

AmatseruX

Anti-Laurie ( **Mastermind of the Divide** )

Shader

Mokoalw

Brian

Renshin

CoolKid

BananaMan

OriginalXD ( **K/O** )

Funneh (Prisoner of War)

Ptruong (Prisoner of War)

As Anti-Laurie emerged from the darkness, his jet black hair and red and black striped shirt resulting in a direct opposite of Laurie's appearance, A more hostile BananaMan, Moko and Amatseru of the Silver side stood to his right while Atticus, Shot and Kenshiro were at his left with golden badges on their chests. Each and every one of them wielded a Lustrous Eclipse blade, event Anti-Laurie who led the group of Lunar Mind-Slaves.  
"Shit, we need order as well to look cool." said Laurie hastily.  
"I can agree with that." added CoolKid cheekily  
"Everyone equip a Moon Blade Munechika! Shader…I know I'm doing what you did earlier by wanting a specific access- What's wrong?!" Shader was holding back tears in her eyes and sniffing  
"Oh nothing!" she responded while quickly wiping her eyes "I'm just happy that this whole guild divide thing was just an evil plan and not really the guild falling apart."  
"Me…Me too…Me TOOHOOOHOOOHOOO!" weeped Trace sorrowfully who was in a blubbering teary mess and held a snotty rag. Laurie grinned and gave Trace a steady pat on the back.  
"Um…Laurie I don't have that accessory." said ButlerBows nervously. "But I do have the key to your cuffs. I'm really good with keys, I can just look at a key and-" Laurie's jangling and abrupt advance halted ButlerBows' speech  
"Uncuff me now, please, this is very demoralizing for the others…" With a quick click Laurie grinned. "Thanks SilverBows!"  
"Si-Si…SilverBows" SilverBows eyes glittered with hope. He was himself again. From his smile Laurie changed face completely and drew his own blue and gold Munechika, the others quickly following suit.  
"Now Laurie, about the Munechika, It's a very rare gold ball accessory so I don't-"  
"It's nine against six, what's the plan, New King?" cut-in CoolKid earnestly.  
"I ain't no King!" scolded Laurie brandishing his sword ready for battle, but dangerously in the direction of CoolKid "Just fight whoever you can, but I'll be battling that Anti…"  
"I'll take on Atticus." Said Trace with a smirk "Gosei told me all the secrets of his Pizza Sword before he was possessed. (Read Chapter 33) So he'll be a piece of cake…I mean pizza! I mean like a Pizza Pie! HE'LL BE A PIECE OF-Oh crap he's not even using the Pizza sword is he…"  
"I'll fight Pip and Gosei." Said Kironaka calmly  
"Th-Those two!?" cried Brian nervously "But they're powerful and armored!" Kiro just smiled back at him with a smile too large for her own face in sheer confidence.  
"We've got each other's backs, alright?!" cried Laurie in assurance "and just remember that whoever you fight is really that Anti-BASTARD over there!" Laurie turned to Anti-Laurie in sudden anger and spat "HEY! Stop copying me you piece of shit!"  
"If he's an Anti-Bastard does that make Laurie "Bastard"?" whispered Brian to Trace  
"Come and make me." Smiled Anti coldly. Without a moment's more hesitation Laurie charged forward – They were now the one's who were outnumbered, but that wouldn't stop them for returning the damage Anti-Laurie had dealt to the guild.

With swords beginning to clang left, right and centre Laurie started to think choosing everyone to use one was a bad idea as he disliked swords with a passion. But this was the least of his worries as the outnumbered group charged head on against Anti-Laurie's group of Mind-Slaves. The most shcking encounter was Kironaka bravely taking on the armored Pip and Gosei alone. She timed counter-attacks so perfectly that Pip and Gosei became unorganised and ricocheted back from failed strikes whilst the other person was striking. It was almost as if Kiro was taking turns fighting against one person at a time instead of against two. As she slashed hard against one of Pip's strikes bounding him backwards and preparing to deflect Gosei, Brian appeared suddenly at her left  
"I can help!" he cried exasperatingly. Kiro's eyes widened as the battle pattern took a turn for the worst, she dived and knocked Brian away, dodging Gosei's wide slash in the process. As the two rolled and landed safely Kiro panted and rose to her feet.  
"I'm okay, Brian" she managed to gasp "I've got this. You worry about yourself." Brian stared but knew she was right the moment he saw she was breathing quickly but otherwise unharmed.  
"All right, Kiro" he answered, adjusting his tunic and standing up beside her  
"I'll-WHOAA" Brian instantly ducked an oncoming double strike from Amatseru and Moko who grinned with malice.  
"If I can take on two, you can as well!" called Kiro supportively who was now blocking successive double attacks from Pip and Gosei "They seem weaker than before, maybe Anti-Laurie's manipulation powers are dulled when he is in battle!"  
"NOT…A BAD…THEORY, KIRO!" cried CoolKid in a strained voice as his violent strikes were blocked one by one by a calm faced Kenshiro. Whilst Kiro and Brian fought hard they shot a glance over to Laurie who sure enough had begun battling Anti-Laurie himself. Both of their right arms slung back, both struck forward, and with equal force repelled backwards, again and again, neither giving up an inch.  
"Th-Their…F-F…" Kenshiro had started talking! "Their fighting styles are so similar…"  
"Always analysing, eh Kenshiro! Haha!" laughed CoolKid "Wait?! Kenshiro isn't trying to fight anymore!" With Anti-Laurie's attention shifting, his hold over the bigger group of possessed Guild Members was slipping.  
"Keep going, Laurie!" cheered Shader at the far side of the encampment.  
"G-Go Laurie..!" struggled Atticus who stood beside Shader as a former opponent. Anti-Laurie's eyes flittered around for the voices, temporarily losing sight of the battle and taking a cut to the left shoulder. Anti-Laurie gritted his teeth through the pain and Laurie lunged forward. The rnemy was on the ropes from such a small strike! In unison the larger number of possessed guildies suddenly dropped their Lustrous Eclipse blades, and as Laurie's sword rose and slashed down the battle was theres!


	41. Animal Divide Pt6

Lunar Antics Chapter 40 – Animal Divide Pt.6

Lunar Forces

Anti Forces

Laurie Moon

Anti-Laurie

Pip

Gosei

Kironaka

Trace

SilverBows

Shader

CoolKid

Brian

Shot

KenshiroK

Atticus

AmatseruX

Mokoalw

BannanaMan

Anti-Laurie flew backwards as Laurie's slash cut across his hands splitting off flesh from both of his palms. The cloned man roared in pain as blood dripped from his hands, he had no morale to fall back on – His comrades, false puppets and back in their right mindsets  
"Lauuuriieee!" cried Pip and Gosei simultaneously and struggling to tear off their giant metal boots and gauntlets.  
"We're so sorry!" said Pip woefully  
"We weren't thinking straight!" cried Gosei in equal discontent. Lustrous Eclipse blades scattered the ground of the Spin Square rooftop, even Anti-Laurie's sword finally fell with a clang, not as choice but because his bleeding palms made him unable to hold it.  
"Your manipulating the guild is over." Said Laurie breathing heavily and lowering his own Munechika sword. "But seriously, a guild divide over choosing who likes cats or dogs more?!" he added turning to the rest of the group "I would never get you all to genuinely battle one another for leadership, I'd pass it onto someone close like…Original…Although I guess he was the one I beat up first…"  
"You won't stop me." Said Anti-Laurie angrily who knelt down and was trying not to move his bleeding palms "No matter how many times, I'll keep coming back."  
"We've already stopped you twice!" exclaimed Kiro with as much emphasise as she could muster "Why do you want to take over Lunar so much, just give it up."  
"Because I am the true Laurie, the rightful leader of Lunar. I exist purely to turn Lunar over to the Val Sharks. I will create a guild that will aspire to be the strongest, the unstoppable."  
"But that's not what Lunar's about…" said Brian scratching his head "It's about being friendly, having fun and helping others, you know?"  
"Wait, Brian." said Kenshiro suddenly "If that's what Laurie ideals most, surely Anti-Laurie wants the opposite for the guild. Laurie stabbed his Munechika deep down into the mud and placed one foot on the hilt, leaning down at Anti-Laurie.  
"You can be the strongest, have everything you ever wanted." said Laurie calmly gazing down at Anti "But when it comes right down to it – A dictatorship will never last." Anti-Laurie looked back up at the man he was created from, with no words or retort to make. "Powerful subjects to lord over will always fail in comparison to loyal and supportive friends. Always."  
"Cheeeeeesyyyyyyy" moaned CoolKid rolling his eyes  
"It's true though!" hissed Shot back at him. "It's a pretty handy skill though…Your manipulation." continued Laurie drawing his sword from the mud and inspecting the dirt along the length of the blade. "But real team-mates aren't controlled puppets." Anti remained silent, was he seriously considering these words? He just stared upward at Laurie whilst sitting in the mud. "Trace, got any more of those amptium cuffs?" Trace looked over alert at Laurie, nodded quickly and dashed off to fetch them. "He may be wounded but make sure he doesn't esc-GYAAH!" Anti through his own blood and pain had violently rolled up his sleeves revealing two identical purple and white arm-strapped gadgets. The activation of these armlets and sent every Lunar member hard against the muddy ground with a wet slap to the face.  
"GRAVITY…ARMLETS..AOURGHH!" retched Brian as he accidentally ingested some mud whilst trying to speak.  
"Well I DO love a good speech and fwwendshwip!" mocked Anti-Laurie rising to his feet, covered fully in his own blood and mud "But I must be heading off now."  
"NO! WE'VE GOT TO…AOUURGH!" continued to roar Brian through the mud who was no close to vomiting.  
"Shh shh shhhhh…" whispered Anti-Laurie creepily while leaning down next to Brian's mud-soaked ear "I'll be out of your way very shortly." While everyone was continually pushed by heavy gravity into the mud Anti-Laurie casually strolled away into the darkness "Goodbye, Lunar." He said slyly "Oh and Laurie I shall definitely take your advice on making some 'friends', PFFFFT- AAHHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!" cackling off into a mere echo Anti-Laurie had gotten away.

When the squelching of mud footsteps and echoing laughter had ceased, and Brian was close to being unable to vomit anything else the gravity effects finally wore off. Laurie was the first to his feet. Brian adamantly second despite feeling light-headed in a fit of rage  
"I will KILL that bastard!" he roared stomping his feet into the mud and vomit, careless of any of the mess "I ate so much mud!"  
"Then you should've kept your damn mouth shut..." said Kenshiro pushing himself out of the mud.  
"Kiro, Atticus, Pip, SilverBows, go and find any other guild members within this encampment and get them to search for Anti." Ordered Laurie with fierce determination "Everyone else, start the search immediately!" Getting to their feet and rushing off in different directions the group scattered to track down the escaped villain "Oh, BannanaMan!" called Laurie stopping a sceptical BannanaMan in his tracks "Wipe the mud off me as punishment for knocking me out earlier, yeah I know it was you..!" BannanaMan moaned and started patting Laurie down with his bare hands. In the process Trace-Ace appeared with amptium handcuffs and a key. They all looked at one another confused, Trace the most perplexed of all wondering where Anti-Laurie and all the other guildies had gone.  
"wat I miss" he said in a dumb voice.

…

Throughout the night and into the early morning the guild searched up and down Spin Square for Anti-Laurie, but despire their efforts he had vanished entirely. Once they had stopped searching the guild's next task was to purchase plants, flowers and other fauna and replant the full length of Spin Square which had become a defunct battleground.

The guild was divided once more deconstructing all the tents from their respective sides. Laurie shouted orders and helped out whilst "jokingly" wearing a silver Gosei cat badge. When Pip reacted hysterically Laurie claimed he had one of the gold badges on as well but had "lost it."  
When it came to cleaning the muddy patches with spades and rakes Laurie got chatting to fellow guildie Susanoo, an ordinary-looking member who was often forgotten in a crowd but was unexpectedly a master of the Vital Despoiler, a malicious and ferocious gun with quick lethal strikes.  
"It's nice to finally tidy everything up." Said Susanoo shovelling dirt around.  
"Yeah, not too many plot-holes all up." Agreed Laurie. Susanno froze momentarily before continuing "Y-yeah…we'll fill up these pot holes with soil and new plants in no time."  
"No, plot holes." said Laurie stubbornly. "Why was Spin Square completely empty in the first place again? Everyone else in Wingdom went on holiday like me or something right? Ha, good one. Yeah I don't believe that…" Susanoo had stopped digging up soil completely and stared at Laurie with eclectic eyes. "There was no follow-up on Original or Aquila either, OooOoOOohh they just HAPPENED to go unoncious before they could tell me anything important about why the guild was divided, how clichéd is that? OH and don't get me started on all those "stone fortresses" I saw in Part 1, and those giant flags I saw when I first arrived in Spin Square – Never brought up again, what was the point of all that? Is this just bad-story telling or is the author a complete-"  
And before saying anything else to undermine the story Manteppp decended from the heavens and smite Laurie down harder than a crate of phone books being dropped on his head from a 100ft height.  
And Susanoo watched it happen. He watched.

The End.


	42. Jorondo Spotted!

Lunar Antics Chapter 41 – Jorondo Spotted!

Chilling out on deck chairs in Spin Square Kazeru, Renshin, Shot, Laurie and DrShadow were having a Twilight BBQ as the sun was setting. With everything back in ship shape with new flowers and fauna planted and all of the concrete tiles repaired from the "Animal Divide" episode which had ravaged the land as well as the guild, having a simple self-cooked meal with friends was the best thing in the whole world.  
"Isn't it just the best!" said Laurie cracking open his third bottle of cider  
"Laurie, I think you've had enough…" said DrShadow worryingly.  
"Nonsense!" burst Laurie, bouncing in his seat slightly in the process "I'm nin- not even tipsdy-TIPSY! I'm not even tipsy..!"  
"So much for 'Cider's not my favourite thing' eh?" quoted Kazeru slyly to Renshin who was manning the BBQ with tongs in hand.  
"Oh, with that list that Gosei was making that one time." Replied Renshin remembering a prior occasion.  
"H-Help!" came a loud cry from just around the corner. Megaforce Member Mighty came out running with his weapon of choice, a common baseball bat, in hand.  
"Here we go, batter up." Mocked Shot whilst laying down a BBQ beef bone and wiping his greesy fingers along the bottom of his black jacket.  
"Mighty, what's up?" said Laurie casually "pull up a chair, have yourself a nice cider."  
"N-n-no!" V-v-val sharks have invaded LJ's Club!" The members of Lunar threw down their knives and forks and rose to attention – all except Laurie who stubbornly took a heafty swig of his cider  
"Why can't you just contact the Megaforce with your MegaFone…Hey, when are you going to share that kinda technology with us by the way?"  
"I can't contact them!" cried Mighty who ignored the rude second question "I can't let them know I skipped out on Red Bull's birthday for going out to the club with some friends!"  
"You have friends outside of the Megaforce?" asked Renshin  
"BIRTHDAY?!" burst Laurie spilling some cider out of the bottle as he jerked forward "Where was my invite!"  
"Laurie, I thought you were scared of Red Bull and didn't like him." Whispered DrShadow into his ear  
"Love the Red Bull drink, hate the Red Bull man – That's what you always said, Laurie." Quoted Kazeru with a hushed voice into the other ear  
"Yeah..but!" grumbled Laurie speechlessly "I mean..no well…It's…GRR." While Laurie was distracted, Shot was slowly moving Laurie's half full cider bottle away from the table.  
"It's a gigantic but weak unit of lower ranked Val Sharks," explained Mighty who was still scared but beginning to catch his breath, his eyes locked with Renshin who was watching as he listened "but their group is being led by one of the top Val Shark Officers – Jorondo!" Renshin's mildly interested eyes lit up into full throttle and his mouth dropped open  
"Well that's suspicious," said Shot folding his arms "Why does Joronodo love the club so much? I mean this isn't the first time she's attacked it." (See Chapter 13)  
"LJ's Club will be destroyed!" yelled Mighty sorrowfully "Please help me fend them off!"  
"YES!" cried out Renshin heroically while discarding his BBQ tongs high into the air  
"Nooo…" moaned Laurie "It's a lovely evening. Who's gonna stay here with me – raise your drinks!" nobody raised anything, not even Laurie who looked about curiously "Wh-where's my cider?" Shot looked away from him nervously "Who moved my cider!"

As Renshin, Shot, Kazeru and DrShadow followed on behind Mighty in a hurry, Shot looked back into the distance where Laurie was searching in the bushes for his half-drunk cider.  
"He's a pretty good leader but other times…" Shot turned his head back to the group "…He's a complete idiot…"  
"Sometimes he means business, other times he just wants to relax you know? The whole guild divide thing recently must've taken a toll on him." Replied DrShadow thoughtfully. "At least he likes to have fun. I can't imagine what Megaforce's Red Bull is like as a leader – that even on his birthday his members would rather have fun elsewhere…" thankfully Mighty did not hear this comment as he lead the group into Wingdom's hottest hangout – 'The Club' owned by none other than Supersonic DJ LJ.

Renshin was first in through the door and hastily analysed his new surroundings  
"I don't see HER!" he cried out angrily  
"What do you mean? Are you only looking for Jorondo?" asked Kazeru sceptically "The Val Sharks are EVERYWHERE!"  
"Yeah but…They're not aggressive?" said DrShadow in a confused tone. The Val Sharks outnumbered the regular party-goers 3-to-1, however none of them were causing any trouble, in fact they were all dancing, laughing, drinking and eating and chatting amongst themselves. They all looked visably identical with replicated blue armor and black masks with blank white eye sockets, if it wasn't for their unique hair styles and colours atop their heads they would all look exactly the same. They were all joking about and having a good time, it was good to see that the lowest of the low ranked Val Sharks, common pawns if you would, were not completely stripped of their individuality.  
"Why are they all celebrating amongst all the average civilians…" asked DrShadow  
"And where's Jorondo!" burst Renshin with deep convicted passion.  
"I didn't see Jorondo, yo" said a calm strong voice form behind them. The group spiun around and there before them stood none other than Supersonic Street Magician LJ with track pants, basketball shirt and his instantly recognisable iconic shades and sizeable afro. "The blonde chick from the Val Sharks right? I didn't see her at all, just these loose cannons lookin' for a good time." Renshin was absolutely livid with rage  
"YOU LIED!" he clutched Mighty's shoulders aggressively and shook him "You said she would be here! You lied to us! But more importantly you lied to ME! MEEEEEE!"  
"Just a small white lie!" cried Mighty "I needed you all to come and the moment I saw you in the group I knew you would DEFINITELY come if you thought Jorondo would be here!" As Renshin shook Mighty faster and faster but couldn't bring himself to hurt him the other three Lunar members turned their attention to LJ.  
"What are they all celebrating for?" asked Shot watching a Val Shark conga line beginning to form over by the bar.  
"It's the Val Shark's Leader's birthday today, yo." Said LJ with a smile.  
"No way! It's Red Bull's today too!" said DrShadow in surprise  
"You're allowing them to party here…" asked Kazeru sternly "You even let them participate in your…'illegal' underground Street Fights" he added carefully, making sure to pretend he didn't know the true nature of them. (See Chapter 31)  
"Dangerous Bob isn't so dangerous once you get to know him, yo." Admitted LJ "We actually get our hair done at the same place in a secret place in downtown Wingdom."  
"NO WAY!" burst DrShadow once more  
"Yeah it's true, you'd be surprised the things I know about him."  
"Tell me!" said Mighty "Tell me and Red Bull will surely promote me; starting with this Hair Salon, where exactly is it in Downtown Wingdom?!"  
"Well, he gets his hair trimmed once a week," said LJ avoiding the main question at hand "His afro is completely natural, like mine, yo."  
"What about him wanting to…you know…destroy Wingdom?" asked Shot cautiously, beginning to question whether LJ was really someone to be trusted.  
"I don't support that." Said LJ honestly and upfront, sensing the distrust. Kazeru let out a slight sigh off to the right. "What I DO support is letting anyone, regardless of what they do or who they are let off some steam; fighting on fun, free terms or celebrating and partying once in awhile."  
'Laurie had said the same thing during that Street Fight with Bon Seagal' thought Kazeru to himself 'or…rather SogeMoon did…' "Did I say that out loud?" The group looked at Kazeru questionably.

"She must be here..!" Renshin had shaken Mighty into a dizzy stupor who lay on the floor "She must be celebrating here as well!"  
"Yo, I don't think so." answered LJ with a grin "I don't allow higher ranked Val Sharks in my establishment; Or my Street Fights for that matter and neither does Bob. He sees these lowest rank Val Shark mob as a single entity, as long as they make up the numbers and the majority fall in line when they're individuals they can do whatever they want. The higher rank members stand out though, they have images to uphold to the rest of the organisation. That's why he doesn't let them do anything reckless unless ordered."  
"Like what Masked Man did." Said Kazeru fishing for more answers.  
"Like what Bon Seagal did…" corrected LJ bitterly "He shouldn't have come to the Street Fight that day – Bob even demoted him a rank, but I suspect he'll get promoted back some time soon, he was the former #1 GAT Fighter after all…As well as a double agent. Even I didn't know about that.."

Admist the music, cheering and celebrating all over the club LJ was filling in so many gaps in the groups knowledge of the Val Sharks inner workings and their elusive leader Dangerous Bob – Who LJ appeared to be buddies with.  
"Why was Bon Seagal there that day?" asked Kazeru with a nervous gulp, who had become the spokesman of the group. "Surely Dangerous Bob must've told you something..?"  
"Surely?" mocked LJ with a grin "Yeah, yo, cause all we do at the Hair Salon is gossip. But if I'm being honest, Bob didn't really know. It was a bit out of line, he blew his cover as a high ranking Val Shark and GAT Stadium's finest fighter. But maybe he'd just had enough, yo? Maybe he just wanted to reveal himself publicly in front of everyone and draw out Jacky – Those two have always had beef with one another." Shot's ears pricked up slightly as he was reminded of his BBQ Beef Bone from long before.

It was certainly very suspicious that LJ was on casual speaking terms with Wingdom's greatest threat Dangerous Bob, Leader of the Val Sharks, regardless, LJ wasn't a Megaforce or Val Shark Member, but a neutral party who had an understanding with the General to operate Street Fights and owned one of Wingdom's best clubs. Surely LJ wasn't a bad person, but simply had a very different outlook on the world and treated everyone equally. As Shot pleaded to the others that they return to Spin Square for more food, and Renshin begrudgingly helped Mighty to his feet, DrShadow deemed the situation under control  
"If anything kicks off you can get help, right?" asked Kazeru to LJ  
"Yeah, yo, I can contact the Megaforce with this MegaFone in a flash." He replied pulling out a blue phone-like gadget "Don't worry Mighty, I won't tell anyone you was here, aight?"  
"We better not tell Laurie that you have one of those…" said Shot raising his eyebrows at the MegaFone.  
As the four left the club they all went their separate ways and said their goodbyes. Kazeru would make sure to fill Laurie in with all the details later, but for now he was probably dozing somewhere from all the food and cider.

Who was the elusive Dangerous Bob and did he really want to destroy ALL of Wingdom? These questions would have o wait until any of them saw LJ again, but would he even answer the more serious ones like this?  
Better yet, could they get their answers straight from the source – if they were able to confront the Val Shark Leader face to face…


	43. Story of Mora

Lunar Antics Chapter 42 – Story of Mora

Cut off from the rest of Wingdom in the eastern reaches its landmass existed a small village; so disconnected and isolated that it was seemingly stuck in the past. It's technology had developed no further than feudal Japan and while the rest of the world had moved on to advanced machinery and equipment this small village had perfected swords, spears, hammers and all other handheld weapons far beyond central Wingdom with its mass-production. When Mora discovered that it's technology was behind the rest of the world they didn't panic or force themselves to adapt, they took it in their stride and profited immensely from their archaic but unmatchable weapons, their beautiful untouched landscapes resulting in pricy tourism as well as their delicate hand-crafted meals which were also able to charge a pretty-penny. By being technologically "stuck in time" Mora moved from strength to strength, and in an effort to celebrate their own achievements they constructed a mighty shrine commemorating all that is good, as well as paying homage to their ideology "giving extra for what is great". With their profits, Mora created their own unique currency of "lucky coins" with no distinquishable value, however these could be donated at the Mora Shrine for exclusive goods in exchange.

However, the time came when the people of Mora let their pride in primitive technology and manufacturing get to their heads, as a violent plague broke out among the villagers with symptoms of red eyes, bulding veins and blind fury and violence against anyone in the vicinity. The twenty-eight who were infected were thankfully and quickly quarantined safely out of town at "The Great Ruins" an unknown collapse from long before Mora's establishment. Medics of Lunar, Doctors of Megaforce and even the world renown Doctor Diaper couldn't figure out a cure. Over the weeks to come the infected's eyes grew redder until no iris or pupil could be seen – just complete pure red. Their unmotivated rage was rising, their strength along with it, the Infected broke free of their shackles, killing the Mora Quarintine guards left, right and centre. But before the infected could escape the ancient ruins and spread the disease further or murder any more bystanders an unknown hooded figure appeared atop the ruin's highest pillar wielding a massive blade swirling in dark energy – The Dainsleif, an unholy relic of Mora culture said to sap the energy of the one who holds it in exchange for raw authority and power. Leaping off the pillar, before any of the infected could scatter, he roared as loud as he could, attracting all twenty-eight of the enraged infected townsfolk. As the surviving Mora Quarantine guards watched in horror the hooded figure slashed down every infected man and woman that came at him – without a second of consideration to who they were, how they became infected or who close to them would be left behind. All twenty-eight were slayed then and there, and although the plague was now eradicated through killing it's quarantined population, what was the cost?

Mora had been saved, their culture and contributions to handheld weaponry and tourism could be restored, but all twenty-eight infected men and woman were human at the end of the day – they could have survived somehow, right? Even if the situation was dire, and twelve Mora guardsmen had been killed at those ruins, was it really someone's choice to make that the infected townsfolk should die? They were infected, but they weren't monsters, they had families.  
Nobody had seen the hooded figure come or go, who he was or why he took matters into his own hands. He had simply vanished.

A few miles out of town, taking the long trip back to Wingdom, the Dainsleif unsummoned itself from his hand – it's draining but strength-giving abilities had taken it's toll. Lowering the hood that defined him he let the cool country air blow against his sweat-drenched forehead. Hood George released a deep calm sigh. He couldn't tell anyone what had happened today, never let anyone know he had even set foot in Mora. His dark secret of a small massacre to save thousands more. Even if they were infected, even if he could try to justify his actions to himself, there would be hundreds of people out there who wouldn't; who would simply claim he had innocent blood on his hands.  
He continued down the long road, his head hung low with his hood rippling from it's very thread.


	44. Rank One Exclusive

Lunar Antics Chapter 43 – Rank One Exclusive

Brian, Coolkid and Kenshiro were about to be sent off on a very special, highly ranked mission that Laurie himself dared not take part in.  
"Megaforce has labelled this a rank one mission." Laurie told the three sternly "But Ryo is not to be underestimated, that is why I have chosen you three to take care of-"  
"S-Sorry?" asked Brian sceptically "You did say Ryo, right? The suit-wearing bowl-cut headed Val Shark?"  
"Yes, that is correct." Said Laurie very seriously  
"You're definitely talking about that bottom ranked Val Shark?" said Kenshiro scratching his head.  
"Look, I don't know what you guys are getting at, but he is truly a force to be reckoned with."  
"HOW?!" Burst CoolKid who unlike Brian and Kenshiro could barely contain his composure.  
"Because his hair is an eyesore!" said Laurie unconvincingly. "No offence Kenshiro."  
"wat." Mouthed Kenshiro silently whose long blue hair was standard for a dragon of his age.  
"Now if you three will excuse me I've got a lunch date with SilverBows and Atticus."  
"I bet they'll be having pizza…" muttered Brian grumpily  
"Now GO!" ordered Laurie suddenly "Before Ryo escapes!" The urgency in his voice was enough to send Brian, CoolKid and Kenshiro into alert as they sprinted off to find Ryo who was reportedly at a City Center Rooftop in a more congested part of Central Wingdom. As the three ran off Laurie watched carefully until they were all well out of sight and then ran off behind them at a much quicker rate.

"WAHOHOHO!" cackled Laurie in a sweat-drenched suit and hot black bowl-cut wig "YOU'RE TOO LATE, LUNAR!" The three had just come out of a small stairwell that lead up to a grubby rooftop in the centre-city. Walls with faded colours and graffiti littered their vision, and before them at the edge of the rooftop stood a fake 'LauRyo' and two recognisable fake Val Shark goons.  
"Laurie that's you." Said Kenshiro blankly "You're like not convincing at all."  
"Did you sprint here or something?" asked Brian holding his nose "You smell horrible!"  
"Nobody talks to Ryo like that!" ordered SilverBows wearing a piece of paper coloured in black with a marker over his eyes "I can't see anything…" he added quietly.  
"At the end of the day…" started Atticus sounding like a businessman "I still got pizza. And this suit is niiiice. Wish I didn't get pepperoni on it though." Atticus, while chomping on a leftover slice of pizza wore a stained suit identical to LauRyo's, as well as a differing spiky black wig.  
"Atticus! Wrong outfit!" hissed LauRyo quietly so the others wouldn't hear.  
"The costume shop I went to didn't have any black bowl-cuts so I improvised."  
"NO!" erupted LauRyo furiously before looking about nervously "No..!" he whispered this time "You're supposed to be a Val Shark – I'M Ryo!"  
"Ohh…" said Atticus removing his wig and revealing his thick mane of green hair "Well as long as I get free pizza I'll do whatever." Kenshiro face-palmed, what was the point of this. A prank? A training exercise?  
"Have at them, my minions!" As Atticus put on a make-shift eyemask made from his pizza box and SilverBows followed orders and spawned a gigantic square shield – The Mega Guard was as much as a weapon as it was a means of defence  
"No, no, no…" touted LauRyo wistfully "Val Shark minions don't use accessories."  
"B-But…" said SIlverBows hesitantly "How am I supposed to win?"  
"Just pretend your Bon Seagal or something! He doesn't use accessories at all."  
"Oh yeah…" making his shield disappear the unarmed SilverBows ran towards the rivalling trio "I-I-I-I'm as strong as Bon Seagal..!"  
"Let me…" sighed Kenshiro irritably. Before Brian or CoolKid could acknowledge or reply, Kenshiro had taken a leaping step forward and with an instantaneous swing of a golf club SilverBows had soared over the rooftops and out of sight.

"I hate using those," said Kenshiro truthfully while discarding the gold club off the side of the building. "I usually only use them to annoy Laurie when he uses them on me too much."  
"They don't annoy me!" burst LauRyo "I MEAN UH-WAHOHOHO, Very good! But I still have one more Val Shark minion left!" Brian silently stepped forward, it was made apparent to the others that he would take on Atticus.  
"Oh…Laurie." Groaned Atticus "What was on that pizza…"  
"Fish and seaweed." replied LauRyo earnestly as if there was nothing abstract about that "I wanted to make you a sushi pizza, but I still put cheese and tomato on it to make it 'a pizza' you know?!" Atticus could feel a gag reflex kicking in as his stomach lurched and his back arched "AND pepperoni because I know it's your favourite…Or wait…was that pepperoni…?" Atticus clutched his tummy and kneeled down  
"Are you sure that fish wasn't raw chicken or something…" he asked painfully.  
"What? No it was definitely fish. Didn't have a strong smell but it was definitely-…Oh." Atticus's churning bowls grew and he eventually rushed off in a cold sweat to find a restroom somewhere inside the building below.

The four stood in silence on the rooftop, it was just LauRyo and the three competitors left.  
"WAHOHOHO! WELL DONE!' Congratulated LauRyo to a confused Brian  
"I didn't even get to fight." Said Brian dumb-founded  
"Now I shall be the one to face YOU!" LauRyo pointed dramatically to CoolKid "In a final battle! Let's do this!"  
"All right!" cheered CoolKid cracking his knuckles "I get to be the one to fight and arrest Ryo!"  
"CoolKid…" muttered Kenshiro "That's Laurie."  
"That's Laur-What?! Noooo…"  
"WAHAHAHA! THERE YOU ARE!" None other than the actual Ryo stood at the opposite edge of the rooftop, he had seemingly scaled the side of the building to reach them "A handsome gentleman with a stained but otherwise stylish suit came out of the bathroom at the bottom level of this building and thought I was the Leader of Lunar?!" Ryo stepped forward to the rest of the group who were shocked, but not afraid – Ryo was among the weakest of the identifiable Val Sharks "Would any of you happen to know about that..?" he asked to Laurie in particular.  
"Wahohoho…" cackled LauRyo coolly, still trying to mimic Ryo's signature laugh.  
"THAT'S NOT HOW I LAUGH AT ALL! AND THIS ISN'T FUNNY!" burst the upset Ryo.  
"This whole performance has been a ruse to draw you here…THINK FAST!" and with three consecutive punches to the chest, shoulder and face Ryo was out cold, on the spot.

"That was fun you guys!" said Laurie cheerfully while removing his wig and taking his suit jacket off, using it's sleeves and thick material to tie Ryo up "We can go home now."  
"I…I'm so confused." Mumbled CoolKid who looked back and forth between Laurie and Ryo. Kenshiro shook his head in disappointment at CoolKid's ignorance, he was done trying to explain anything.  
"What about SilverBows and Atticus?" asked Brian.  
"SilverBows is smart, he'll figure out that he can use his shield to cushion the blow and be unharmed. Atticus is probably fine too after a bathroom break – If this guy encountered him after his visit he's probably okay now" said Laurie with an absent smile as he tied the last thick knot behind Ryo's arms. "I wanted them all to scatter around anyway to try and confuse and attract Ryo to me."  
"All of this for a rank one Val Shark..?" muttered Kenshiro folding his arms perplexingly "Why?" he added. Laurie lifted the tied up unconscious Ryo onto his shoulder  
"I stand by what I said earlier," he replied "Ryo is a force to be reckoned with."  
"Wait a second!" burst CoolKid, who like before couldn't keep his composure "I thought YOU were Ryo! Who is this man!" The three looked absolutely baffled, even Laurie who was equally thick-headed at times.  
"Drink son me tonight," said Laurie with a grin. "The Megaforce will be giving us a nice little reward for Ryo."  
"No cier for you though, Laurie…" grumbled Brian "I know what you're like."

Together, the group headed off to meet with SilverBows and Atticus, then to see Red Bull at Megaforce HQ. It was undoubtedly a job well done – but most certainly the oddest way to go about doing it. But that was just how Lunar was; unorthodox and fresh, but fun and exciting.


	45. Treasure Dungeon Pt1

Lunar Antics Chapter 44 – Treasure Dungeon Pt.1

It was the hottest day In months for Wingdom, and as a continent located high in the sky, when it was a cloudless sunny day it absolutely burned – doubly so for the Guildroom of Lunar which hung even higher in the air a couple of kilometres higher than the rest of Wingdom.  
"OUUURRGGHHH!" moaned Laurie who lay on the floor, his voice literally falling out of his body "The sun is searing my flesh!"  
"Yes, that's very nice.." droned Kazeru who was sweating profusely in his black suit  
"I'm serious!" bellowed Laurie "My back is literally sizzling on the metal guildroom floor!"  
"Stop lying down then!" cried Zexter throwing his Pirate Hat In Laurie's direction which he had been using as a fan to cool himself down. "and stop complaining while you're at it!"  
"I'm dying…" came the sorrowfull voice of Susanoo who was curled up under an active shower and fully clothed "even the water from the shower on full cold doesn't come out cold."  
"How about we go to the beach or something?" said Kazeru trying to be helpful  
"We can't…" grumbled Zexter who was beginning to sweat and regretting that he threw his Pirate Hat away "Look around you, why is the Guild Room so empty? It's because Gillman took a load of people and hasn't come back."  
"He'll come back…" groaned Susanoo from under the shower "He has to…"  
"NOPE." Burst Laurie holding his phone up into the air above his head "Enjoying a nice day at the beach, water's great! #lovinglife, #lunarforever! What an asshole!" With a violent throw Laurie's phone flew across the guildroom and hit Susanoo, who with a spark and a sizzle was electrocuted in the shower. "He's not even a Lunar member, he serves ALL guilds!" continued Laurie in a fit of anger.  
"WAIT A MINUTE!" Kazeru had jumped up suddenly, full of energy and enthusiasm "Aren't there like, cold dark caverns underneath Wingdom..?" Zexter looked over curiously, completely forgetting about his Pirate Hat. Laurie sat up, his deliciously grilled back glistening in the sunlight.  
"Oh my Manteppp, you're right Kaz!" he said ecstatically "We can just chill out down there instead of up here! Worst that could happen would be one or two mosquitos or a weak as goblin!"  
"Well what are we waiting for!" cried Susanoo who had recovered from his shock "Let's head on down to the cavern's below Wingdom!"

As the four approached the massive stone pillars on either side of the corridor and into the dungeon, a cool isolated breeze wisped past them. Although the cave was dark and ammonous the temperature was extremally refreshing and perfect for prolonging the life of cooked leftovers such as Laurie's grilled back.  
"I knew you were come eventually!" came a victorious cry. The four spun around to see none other than the pipsqueak Dr. Diaper with his oversized pacifier and white coat five sizes too large for him.  
"Dr. Diaper!" burst Laurie wide-eyed and confused "What are you doing here?!"  
"Escaping the heat?" asked Susanoo condescendingly and leaning against one of the stone pillars "You do know you could just take that coat off to cool down, oh but if you took it off you wouldn't be a doctor anymore or something, right? Pfft, think you're so smart-WHOA" Susanoo nearly fell over by sliding down against the smooth stone of the pillar  
"Why's he being so mean…?" whispered Kazeru to Zexter.  
"He's just being salty, don't worry about it."  
"Not salty!" snapped Susanoo who attempted to reposition himself against the pillar "We never got to the beach, remember?"  
"No…Not that kind of salt." Replied Zexter blankly.  
"I've been waiting here for weekth!" continued Dr. Diaper to Laurie, his lisp through the pacifier as prominent as ever "MONTHTH even! Theven monthth to be prothith!"  
"Can scarcely make out what he's saying" whispered Kazeru to Zexter once more  
"Get use to it…" sighed Zexter  
"You promithed that we would ekthplore the dungeon together!" All eyes were on Laurie now; shocked, angry, betrayed.  
"Umm, yeah I guess I did after all…" Kazeru's vice-like fingers locked on to Laurie's shoulder with the force of a thousand torture-tools  
"Laurie," he said bitterly through gritted teeth "Is this true…"Laurie without fully understanding the tone or implication in Kazeru's voice shrugged slightly  
"Well, Dr. Diaper actually saved Pip from a life or death situation – he ate chocolate ice cream, remember? Dogs can't eat that they have a miniscule tolerance. So I kinda owe him one…WE kinda owe him." (See Chapter 17)  
Zexter and Susanoo solemnly nodded in agreement as they understood the severity of the situation that day and how reliant they were on Dr. Diaper's help, but Kazeru's blade-like fingers cut even deeper  
"I don't owe him shit," he spat uncharacteristically "There's no way I'm going deeper into that dungeon."  
"I gueth Laurie didn't mention you can keep anything you find." Said Dr. Diaper pointing toward their Guild Leader. Kazeru's eyes lit up slightly, but he discreetly hid his excitement  
"This…This is adequate" he said as his fingers finally unrelinquished and blood flooded out of Laurie's shoulder.  
"On one condition," continued Diaper "That I get one thing of my choothing, No quethtionth!"  
"You remember you saying that…" said Laurie suspiciously  
"What's the one thing that you want, then?" said Susanoo sceptically causing Dr. Diaper to rush towards him agressively.  
"NO QUETHTIONTH!" he repeated while spitting in the process.  
"I just didn't understand what he said…" whimpered Susanoo to Zexter  
"What I said to Kazeru; get use to it." Repeated Zexter with a grin.  
"Now come along! You guyth are meant to be my bodyguardth!" The four gawped at one another as Dr Diaper progressed dangerously on his lonesome. As he fanished from eyeshot the four quickly realised the seriousness of the situation and quickly armed themselves with their favourite accessories and dashed off after Diaper.


	46. Treasure Dungeon Pt2

Lunar Antics Chapter 45 – Treasure Dungeon Pt.2

Laurie, Kazeru, Susanoo and Zexter straggled on behind Dr. Diaper who marched on, head held high, deeper into the dungeon.  
"Look…" said Laurie as he glanced over at a group of skeletons eating their way through a corpse which looked suspiciously like Lunar Guild Member Noir_MyWay who hadn't been seen in a good year or so, "We only came down here in the first place to escape the heat today. We just wanted a cool place to 'chill' you know?" Dr. Diaper winced slightly, but continued walking ahead as if not paying any attention in the slightest to Laurie. "To be honest I had completely forgotten about exploring the dungeon with you…" Dr. Diaper snapped and spun around viciously, looking menacing despite his small stature  
"LISTHEN UP MISTHER! You owe me one!" The tiny baby a third of Laurie's size was strangely threatening and Laurie leapt backwards at the outburst. The other three stood nearby watching, too timid to defend their Guild Leader "You guyth got a problem too?!" they hurriedly feigned ignorance and looked around the dungeon walls, tapping their feet and whistling.  
"Hey, is that Noir?" said Kazeru noticing the skeletons chomping quietly.

The four continued forward into the dungeon, doing their best to follow Dr. Diaper. They had fought several goblins with little resistance, so little in fact that Susanoo's Vital Despoiler, a fang-laced blood harvesting gun had managed to restore a large portion of his stamina with it's "Healing for winners" skill, making him even more stronger than before the battles. One of the goblins even dropped a key to a tall door nearby. As it creaked open the group gaspe in excitement – Four treasure chests! Susanoo and Kazeru's chests both contained magical rocks with blue and red runes on them  
"They have magical properthies," said Dr. Diaper nodding to himself "the blue one can ward off dungeon monthters and the red one can raise our treasure luck!" he then abruptly grabbed the blue rune and threw it off a dark cliff where it was never heard hitting the bottom  
"H-Hey!" yelped Susanoo defensively whose rune was the one that was taken "Wasn't that supposed to help us..?!" He glanced at Kazeru who still held his red rune and was wearing a very smug expression on his face.  
"No…" said Dr. Diaper ominously "because we don't want to ward off monthers."  
"Uh, mothers?" added Laurie curiously  
"MON…STERS!" struggled Dr. Diaper "we're looking for them."  
"Why are we looking for monsters?" asked Zexter casually sipping a can of blueberry juice which was inside his chest and well-known as the most restorative drink in all Wingdom. "More keys or good item drops from them?"  
"Oh Christ Manteppp…We're not looking for Valkyrie and Odin are we?!" burst Laurie worryingly  
"Who are they?" asked Zexter, his interest piqued.  
"It's noth for the item drops." Said Dr. Diaper cutting them off before Laurie could reply with an answer "We are looking for a thertain mother…"  
"Well..! There's no need now!" proclaimed Laurie who had just opened up his own chest. Inside was a luminescent glimmering of rainbow colours – emeralds, rubies, topaz, crystals and more, shimmering magnificently.  
"WHOA WHOA WHOA! WE HIT THE MOTHERLODE!" cried Susanoo victoriously. Laurie hastily dug through thr chest and with an excited gasp drew a shining blue Aquamarine.  
"Go ahead, Doctor, take what you want." Said Laurie with a broad grin while throwing the jewel up into the air and catching it again.  
"I don'th wanth anything." Said Dr. Diaper blankly. The four guildies were stunned – all these high value jewels and Dr. Diaper wanted nothing at all?!  
"Thereth only one thing I wanth and that ith a certain monther."  
"You…WHAT!?" burst Kazeru in horror.  
"Gather up your gemth and leth go!" ordered Dr. Diaper exciting the tall treasure room.

Stuffing dusty leather backpacks from the corner of the room with their jewels as fast as they could the four chased after Dr. Diaper in order to get to the bottom of this  
"What monster are we supposed to be hunting then? The King Slime? A Cyclops?!" asked Laurie in a frantic panic.  
"Not hunt. Capture." Stated Dr. Diaper adamantly.  
"C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-CCCHHH" spat Laurie before breaking into a coughing fit  
"CAPTURE!? Erupted Kazeru on his behalf as he almost fell over from light-headedness and shock.  
"Are we going after Ice Keltom perhaps?" said Susanoo rubbing his head and trying to keep his cool "The legendary corpse which has dampened and frozen for hundreds of years, has re-animated consciousness and can manipulate sub-zero temperatures?!"  
"SURELY NOT S-S-S-SATANEIL!?" cried Kazeru "That demon creature that can deflect any elemtnal with his orb shields and rupture the land with the flick of his hand? Wasn't there some legend linked to him about nearly destroying a planet but getting defeated by some hero..? It's probably a lame story anyway though." Dr. Diaper remained silent through all of this as he had done before, marching forward all the while.  
"Valkyrie and Odin?!" burst Laurie whose coughing fit had now ceased "It's suicide to take on those two at once?!"  
"What's the story with those two, Laurie?" asked Zexter again who had been left hanging before.  
"Valkyrie is believed to be mythological female warrior who chooses who lives and dies in battle, and who to take into the afterlife as warriors of Odin. Odin on the other hand is not just a step above her, but an entire world – he's the absolute god of death, royalty, battle, all sorts in some circles." Zexter gulped, two people as powerful and magical as that were dwelling in the catacombs under Wingdom all this time? "But these two aren't the same Valkyrie and Odin." He added.  
"Wh-What? Muttered Zexter  
"Yeah, they have no connection, they're just an insane otaku couple who cosplay as the mythological figures, live down in the caves and watch anime all day…Absolutely horrifying. Worst of the worst." Zexter's initial interest was dulled down instantly – Otaku? What sort of 'rare monster' was that supposed to be…  
"We're here." Said Dr. Diaper stopping dead in his tracks. The group stood at the front of a thin stone bridge with a bottomless dark pit below. Across the bridge was a gigantic stone door which seemingly sensed their presence and began to rumble and open steadily. The door was on the edge of an enormous stone sphere, and as it opened the group saw that the inside of the sphere was a circular chamber, with tall pillars and eternally lit torches at each side.

As Dr. Diaper marched bravely across the bridge his alleged bodyguards tip-toed in fear of falling off and huddled close to one another nervously. Heading straight into the heart of the Wingdom Dungeon the group still had no idea what creature they were up against and how on earth they would 'capture it'  
They were solely in Dr. Diaper's hands now.


	47. Treasure Dungeon Pt3

Lunar Antics Chapter 46 – Treasure Dungeon Pt.3

Any of the Dungeon's Infamous creatures could appear, however in his head Susanoo had already ruled out the possibility of it being Sataneil. The room did not have the sacrificial pit or the four elemental alters which legend said had been constructed in order to defeat him and his cross-bearing followers. His lair was in fact the only significantly unique chamber in the whole dungeon – this one simply resembled any other chamber.  
"Who dares enter." boomed a deep echoing voice from the dark reaches of the cavern. The voice ringed around the cave then hollowed out as it rose skyward. While the others shuddered Laurie investigated the space above them – sure enough stretching upward was a tall and wide cylindrical tunnel reaching all the way up into the night sky outside.

Dr. Diaper instantly turned on the spot facing back to where they came,  
"Wrong cavern." He said with disinterest "The monther I'm after doethn't talk."  
 **"WHO DARES ENTER OUR DOMAIN**!" roared the voice once more, with much more intensity.  
"Why is there an escape tunnel all the way to the outside? Do all caverns have that?" asked Laurie ignoring the unknown adversary. Dr. Diaper cranked his head and winced, his pacifier sucking rate increased in excitement.  
"No, they don't. Thith ith the right cavern, but it theemth a different monther hath taken it from the original owner."  
"Original owner..?" said Zexter glancing over. Out of nowhere spears soared in their direction, Laurie snatched up Diaper by the scruff of his labcoat and sprinted away around the edge of the cavern. Kazeru and Susanoo had reacted the same and quickly chased behind Laurie with the exception of Zexter who remained dodging spears on the spot. "W-Waaaaiitt!" he bellowed as the other four disappeared from view.  
"Get thee hence!" paraded an elegant womanly voice "Oblivion awaits thee!" Diving towards him at full speed a lightly armored woman with a white cloak, sword, shield and metallic visor screamed lines of pre-conceived dialogue "By my sword..!" she shouted in obvious preparation of a 'signature move.' Zexter gripped his trusty 'Brave Bayonet' Gunblade in response to the attack,  
"Talk about giving your strategy away…" he muttered to himself.  
"Return from wence you came!" With a rattling CLANG her slash was blocked entirely. As the two pressed their weapons against one another Zexter could make out the details of her face; Truthfully she was stunning, drop-dead gorgeous and Zexter had never seen anyone so beautiful. If she was somehow connected to gods or higher beings Zexter wouldn't deny it…However…there was something unmistakeably wrong with her – Her eyes were crazy. Crazy eyes. Lost twirling portals to another world, they were permanently wide and darting about, it was as if she could always see or feel something others could not.  
"Hold it together, Zexter!" cried Kazeru who now along with the others was coming back around the other side of the cavern from their first lap.  
"We got this!" Shouted Laurie with a limp thumbs up of false confidence.  
"No you don't!" burst Dr. Diaper who was being held loosely from his lab coat and flailing around behind Laurie "You're about to do your thecond lap!"  
 **"SURRENDER NOW TO OBLIVION..!"** A magnificently armoured Lord Odin of the Afterlife chased behind the group of four, and now in addition to ruby spears was hurling bolts of actual lightning with absolute ease.  
"Y-You sure these guys aren't the real deal?!" Cried Zexter who finally thrust Valkyrie back and was able to fire his Bayonet in a loud short range spread shot.  
"You know how Laurie'th not really a Profethsional Fighter and Kazeru'th not really a Comic Artitht?!" spat Dr. Diaper grumpily. "Well they're not really Valkyrie and Odin! Of courth not!"  
"HEY! I am…suuucchh a good fighter!" bickered Laurie who nearly let go of Dr. Diaper in anger.  
"Thanks Diaper," said Kazeru coolly "I promise if I ever draw you in a comic your head will be disproportionate to your body, like it already is." Unlike the others who had enough energy to squabble Susanoo was beginning to stagger,  
"There's…There's no opening!" he huffed out before falling to his knees  
"SusaNOOOOO!" cried Laurie as Odin's eyes lit up intensely and he held high a spear in his right hand ready to throw  
"Hey! You're not supposed to be here..!" The voice seemingly echoed from above them and caused Valkyrie and Odin to cease their attention from their current targets to the new entrée. The silhouette against the night sky from the tunnel in the cave was instantly recognisable as Kironaka.  
"Why not! We just wanted to escape the heat!" cried Zexter attempting to strike Valkyrie while her guard was down, but being hit in return as he missed.  
"She'th not talking to uth you buffoon!" cried the carried Dr. Diaper "She'th talking to THEM!"  
As Kironaka descending into view it became apparent she was holding onto the talons of a small, adolescent dragon, just half the size of an average person. Dr. Diaper's eyes glittered vibrantly and the few teeth he had bit deep onto his pacifier. "That's what I want." He said lisp-less and dreamily.

As Kironaka reached ground level, just in front of the continuously running group, the young dragon crawled about and defensively took his ground. He let out a piercing screech causing the group to cover their ears in pain as they kept running from the unrelenting Odin. With that screech the echo of a deeper, further away roar was head atop the tunnel above them. Odin stopped his chase, Valkyrie froze her assault – They had experienced what they were about to encounter before…  
"We must retreat to our Holy Sanctuary!" cried Odin as he gathered as many stray spears off the ground he could carry  
"Can we watch anime when we get back?" asked Valkyrie nonchalantly ignoring the rumbling through the tunnel above them  
"Don't speak of our holy artefacts here!" scolded Odin retreating to the entrance to the cavern that the group had entered from. "But yes we can…" he added begrudgingly.  
As the two exited the cavern at top speed Zexter chased behind them aiming his bayonet all the while,  
"We can't let them escape!" be yelled intensely "They must have rare items! We need rare items!"  
"You already have full bagth of treasure." Stated Dr. Diaper from under Laurie's arm. "Now put me down and help me capture what I want! The Big Mother Dragon, Ancient Dragoon: PYRANGA!"


	48. Treasure Dungeon Pt4

Lunar Antics Chapter 47 – Treasure Dungeon Pt.4

If the dragon that Kironaka had arrived with was just a baby, then the oncoming monstrosity must be it's mother. Powerful gusts of wind shot down from the tunnel above them, and the steady flaps of gigantic wings could be heard. Susanoo was immobilized in fear, Kazeru shielded his eyes under his Yatagarasu Crow Attire and Zexter and Laurie clung on to their ever faithful Brave Bayonet and Secret Case respectfully.  
The magnificent scaled dragon with fire-red wings and crimson skin phased into view and with a deep howl while landing in the centre of the cavern it knocked the entire group asunder, even Kiro and the baby dragon toppled over with ease.  
"Go ahead guyth!" Ordered Dr. diaper who was the first back on his feet as he pointed lively "Capture the dragon!"  
"There's noooo way you're capturing Pyranga." Said Kironaka as she stepped forward, the baby dragon wrapped around her shoulders. "It's impossible to tame or 'own' such an incredible creature. Even if you wanted to try, I won't let you." She said this directly to Diaper, but it was suggested as a warning to the other four. However it was as clear as day that the fellow Lunar members had already sided with her, all except her own Leader  
"Uh-uh, I'm your Guild Leader, I can order anything and you have to follow, so if Dr. Diaper says so, and I'm helping him out, then I demand you a-a-also-" Laurie stuttered to a halt as Kironaka stared at him blankly with distaste. "Ooorrr…no I get it, we can't do this to such an amazing creature I…I was wrong I…I'm stupid sorry..uhh. Sorry." Kironaka's blank stare became a passive smile, and she looked over at Dr. Diaper with an air of 'We've won' about her. "Sorry Diaper," continued Laurie "It's not that we're to scared to try and face off against a dragon,"  
"Even though we are…" mumbled Kazeru from under his scarf.  
"It would just be cruel to capture such an intelligent creature." Zexter lowered his Bayonet and removed his leather backpack,  
"Take our jewels," he said "If we can't get you a dragon, take these."  
"No!" burst Dr. Diaper stubbornly "I want my dragon and I want it now! You could at leatht get me the young one!" The others looked uncertainly at Kiro and her adolescent dragon. It looked as if that dragon bent to her will, or at least respected her as it had let her glide down here to begin with, so maybe it was possible?  
"Who? Pyra?" Said Kiro looked at the baby dragon which was curled across her neck sleepily "We're just play-mates. Pyranga, his mother, let's me play with him. But I don't own him or anything…" Kironaka approached Dr. Diaper and leant down so her head was just above his full standing height "Do you want to play?" Something primordial triggered Dr. Diaper's instincts as an infant 'Play.' He thought 'Playtime.' Dr. Diaper excitedly sucked rapidly on his pacifier.

After a quick sniff of Dr. Diaper, Baby Pyra instantly took a liking to him as they were both very small for a dragon and human but also because they were both still very young. Diaper was able to sit atop pyra and fly rather than glide because he was so light and small. The other five were all permitted to ride atop Pyranga; with her baby Pyra so cheerful she let her guard down and was more at peace. Spiralling right up through the tunnel Kazeru's head twirled like crazy and he suddenly became very travel-sick. The others kept their heads high in the sky, seeing the hole to the exit becoming bigger as they rose. "YAHOOO!" cheered Diaper as he hung on tightly. Baby Pyra screeched in a similar tone of friendly communication.

As they rocketed out of the gigantic hole they witnessed the stretched out landmass of Wingdom before them; Spin Square at the centre of it all, Prime Market and the tightly knit Skyscrappers and the more spread out and less dense downtown. Looking down at the tiny rooftops and streets below them the group gasped in amazement.  
"I've never seen Wingdom from such a high vantage point..!" said Susanoo in hushed excitement. Laurie gazed forward into the middle distance where he spotted Megaforce HQ, a giant dome structure overseeing Wingdom from a mountain's edge, as well as Lunar's Guild Room, an Isle in the sky matched only in grandeur by the Moon in Wingdom's orbit, directly parallel to the Guild Room but stretching further outside the atmosphere.  
Far out of the city reaches and off to the east was nothing but forests, rivers, country roads and a few isolated houses as far as the eye could see. Susanoo squinted, unable to see anything of interest. Kazeru, still a little dizzy, noticed Susanoo's squinting and also surveyed out into the Eastern Provinces.  
"They say Mora Village is out to the east." Said Kazeru aloud. Zexter who had been watching Tiny Diaper atop the Tiny Pyra doing flips suddenly tilted his head to gaze out toward the east.  
"Mora?" he said "That's where some of the world's best weapons are from right? Like Moko's blue steel twin-edge Warbler? Or that Basho fan he sometimes uses!"  
"The JP fighting style was originated there too." said Kironaka thoughtfully with her hair rippling in the wind. "Are we certain Moko isn't from Mora originally…"  
"There's a few rivers, but it's land nearly the whole way there, roads get rough and become non-existent so it's impossible by car." Said Kazeru grumpily folding his arms.  
"Why don't we get Gillman to take us! Or fly there on Pyranga!" said Susanoo excitedly. The dragon underneath them shook slightly and a loud low growl was heard.  
"The helicopter couldn't handle that sort of journey, even with pit stops." Said Laurie finally joining in on the conversation "And I think you're forgetting that we can't command Pyranga to take us where we want to go." Zexter and Susanoo sighed sadly while Kazeru continued to fold his arms grumpily and Kironaka gazed out to the east. "HOWEVER!" he promptly pointed to the leather backpack securely fastened to his shoulders "We have four of these stuffed to the brim with JEWELS. We could afford a flight for a dozen or so guild members and still be able to afford all their expensive tourist shit they're so well known for!"  
"Tourist shit?!" cried Zexter aghast "They make the best weapons and food and so much mo-"  
"A Guild Holiday!" cried Kironaka while clapping excitedly  
"That is if we get to keep them…" said Kazeru worryingly who had remained sceptical and grumpy the entire time "This may be a one-time thing for Diaper, he doesn't 'own' a dragon really."  
"Dr. Diaper!" called Laurie over to Pyra and Diaper who were whooshing from side to side happily  
"Laurie what are you-!" hissed Kazeru  
"These jewels…"  
"Keep them!" Dr. Diaper cried back to them with a wide smile "I have no need for them and I'm having thhhhhhooo much fun!"  
Laurie looked back at Kazeru with a 'problem solved' expression to which Kazeru just smirked and rolled his eyes.

And with that it was settled – Lunar would sell the jewels and start planning a guild-wide trip to Mora for all who were interested. From only wanting to escape the blazing heat of the day to exploring a Dungeon and encountering living dragons, the group had had one hell of a day. Pyranga and baby Pyra dropped the group off at Great Avyon Canyon, which at this hour was deserted except for one twin-sword ice spammer who looked like he'd been repeating the same attack on some poor soul for hours.  
"Thank you for letting us play with Pyra." Said Kironaka to Pyra's mother.  
"Thank you…" echoed Dr. Diaper shyly.  
"I'm sure Diaper would love to play again some time." Pyra let out a soft squeak, ill-fitting of a dragon, while Pyranga made a low rumbling hum.  
"Is…Is that a yes?!" asked Dr. Diaper nervously.  
"Yes." Smiled Kiro "It's better to let Pyra play with someone who can actually 'ride' him and not just glide downwards while clinging onto his claws, don't you think?"  
Dr. Diaper wouldn't get to 'own a pet dragon' as he had originally planned, but it was far more rewarding to have become good friends with one. As the Lunar group and Dr. Diaper said their farewells to the dragon duo, Zexter leapt down and ganged the ice spamming idiot so his punching bag could finally go home.  
"We'll start planning the Mora Trip first thing in the morning," said Laurie excitedly "but don't expect to leave anytime soon, we need to book our flights, plan accommodation and all sorts."

Laurie had finally paid Dr. Diaper back from saving Pip's life so long ago at the Ice Cream Shack [See Chapters 16-17] and he was looking forward to the future where the entire guild could benefit from their treasure findings.

The Dungeon Exploration had been a resounding success.


	49. cAmp Pt1

Lunar Antics Chapter 48 – Camp Pt.1

"We've been chosen!" proclaimed Laurie proudly with his hands on his hips and his head held high  
"Urgh…for what?" groaned Kenshiro with a sour look remembering how Laurie had made the same enthused proclamation for when he had Dinner Duty last week. _[For more on 'Dinner Duty' see Chapter 9]_  
"For Master Saga's elite training class!"

It was true, Master Saga had allegedly hand-picked several of Lunar's members for a special training session; Laurie, Kenshiro, Gosei and Moko had been mysteriously selected out of the dozens of guildies and rumour had it only one of Megaforce's group had made it through.  
"I bet Jacky was chosen from the Megaforce…" murmured Funneh to a small handful of guildies earlier that day when the four to go off and train had been chosen "That guy's punches are legendary, I saw him fight against Masked Man! Or rather…Bon Seagal." Funneh's voice hushed slightly as he uttered the true identity. He had been there that fateful day that Bon Seagal, Wingdom's #1 Fighter, had revealed himself as a double agent for the Val Sharks and swapped sides. _[See chapters 24-32]_ "One day I hope I can fight like Jacky with my Prominence Cross."  
"Pfft, did you say Jacky" scoffed Amatseru whimsically while stretching his neck and arms "I think you mean Mike will be selected, his weaponry is unmatched."  
"Are you guys serious…?" asked the adamant Brian "Have you seen Fabrico? Guy is huge, taller and bulkier than anyone in Megaforce."  
"And he's got his own good damn cereal!" grinned Renshin with a full mouth and holding up a box of FabricO's Cereal.

All up there was five people attending Saga's training; No more, no less. At the foot of the door to Master Saga's Dojo, Laurie, Kenshiro, Gosei and Moko stood lined up; the Megaforce's candidate nowhere to be seen.  
"Wonder what makes us so special…" said Kenshiro uncertainly.  
"Well we're about to find out." Said Moko slyly with his unreadable grin as Laurie banged repeatedly on the wooden door. The knocking became faster and the door pushed itself open slightly – It had been left unlocked. Curious, Laurie pushed it open regularly, the inside was deserted and the back doors leading out to the Dojo's training courtyard were open as well; The stout, yet muscly figure of Master Saga himself could be seen in the centre of the courtyard, facing away from them  
"Welcome!" he bellowed, still not facing them but his voice echoing perfectly around the courtyard "Please! Enter the courtyard with me!" Excited, the four guildies entered and walked down the stone steps into the fenced off courtyard complete with pink blossoming peach trees and a calm breeze. "Right, hello you four." The short man turned around to face them. Master Saga was very old but looked perfectly healthy and comically muscly for his height; It was only due to his vertical-standing haircut that he was almost as tall as Gosei who was the shortest of the group of four. "I've been observing Lunar's battles and missions and you four particularly struck me!" said Master Saga eying them up and down  
"You see potential to teach us hidden fighting techniques?!" said Gosei excitedly  
"Maybe some new special accessories for us?" added Moko grinning at the possabilities.  
"No," said Master Saga with a smile "I think you four are a little bit FAT -"  
'What.' Thought everyone as their expressions dropped.  
"- So I've planned some special training to help you out. Now first of all I'd like you all-"  
"Hang on, WHAT?!" cried Laurie after glancing at the others who were equally taken aback "What did you say first?"  
"Uh, welcome, come over here so I can see you?  
"That's not what you said!" burst Gosei shaking his head "you said 'enter the courtyard with me' it was a magical moment and I will never forget-"  
"No, Gosei!" grumbled Laurie slapping his chest "Just then Master Saga you called us fat!"  
"He did?!" shouted the ignorant Gosei  
"Well yes, you thought this was a training camp?" said Master Saga folding his arms "In some ways yes, but I'd prefer to call this a Fat Camp."  
"Fat Camp…" gasped Kenshiro echoing Saga's words.  
"Master! Master!" The lumbering, round and comically overweight Big Gen of the Megaforce came galloping out from inside the Dojo, panting heavily "I finished those 5 push-ups! What a nightmare, What do you want me-OH. You're busy. I'll just umm…I'll just." Big Gen immediately began trying to sneak back from where he came from, the rustling of a crisps packet could be heard coming from his back pocket as he crept away from view  
"You four can't deny you've gotten a bit podgy lately" continued Saga bluntly, his interest in mentoring Big Gen clearly non-existent "You have wings yet you can't even fly, wonder why that is?" Kenshiro raised an eyebrow of suspicion,  
"It's not that I'm too heavy to fly – I just choose not to, that would be an unfair advantage in all scenarios. Besides, Dragon Law clearly states-"  
"Moko, your shirt use to be such a perfect fit but now it's stretched beyond belief." Moko hastily tugged at the bottom of his shirt and glanced around without a retort.  
"and Laurie, if I recall you normally have that shirt unbuttoned." It was true, Laurie usually had his blue and white striped shirt unbuttoned but today it was buttoned up right up to the collar.  
"It's uh, just a bit breezy today!" claimed Laurie awkwardly touching his shirt buttons.  
"Do me! Do me!" called Gosei eagerly. Master Saga looked blankly at Gosei the cat.  
"You don't have to look fat to be fat." He said as he turned back to the rest of the group. The vagueness of the statement left Gosei utterly confused,  
"What does that even-"  
"Look, I don't know who you think you are," spat Laurie sassily an with an air of cockiness "But we're LUNAR, okay?! We don't need to take any of these insulting observations!" and with that Laurie turned around and began walking back through the dojo  
"STOP." Bellowed Master Saga with his immensely booming voice contradictory to his small figure whilst turning away from them "I see how it is…A poor old man loses his disciples he trained since his early days and now nobody wants to be taught anything…" Saga was clearly talking about Bon Seagal's betrayal, and Jacky Noboru becoming the new #1 Fighter "Who would want to spend their time with someone like me.."  
"PSSH," spat Gosei folding his arms "He's just trying to guilt trip us obviously, this isn't "real" training is it? C'mon we don't have time for this."  
"Shh, Gosei…" hushed Kenshiro as he looked at both Laurie and Moko. Their faces were crunched up slightly, even Moko who was a lot of the time quite expressionless. "We weren't there when it happened." Kenshiro continued "We don't know what sort of strain could have been put on them"  
"How about this;" erupted Master Saga spinning dramatically to face them once more "If you complete my Fat Camp (and lose a few pounds) I will teach you a secret move of mine…" Laurie's eyes widened slightly, this was no longer a matter of simply cheering Master Saga up.  
"Oh reaaallly..?"


	50. cAmp Pt2

Lunar Antics Chapter 49 – cAmp Pt.2

The Fat Camp started off with a bang, or at least some stinging pain in the group's lower chest area.  
Master Saga had ordered fifty sit-ups, which although were much simpler than push-ups were causing quite a problem  
"I can't!" moaned Moko, his cool demeanour fading by the minute. "I just can't!"  
"Your lower half is too wild!" shouted Master Saga "we're focusing the fitness and pressure there, keep this up, one day it'll be- Hey! I see you resting!" Kenshiro was lying down with his wings pressed flat against his back and groaning;  
"I can't do this either, no more sit-ups!"  
"There will be no lunch for any of you if just one of you can't do it!" A unanimous moan signified disapproval, but the pace being picked up was a clear response to the prospect of free food.

Next up was laps of the courtyard; alongside the fence, weaving in and out of the peach trees, down the steps, across the width of the stone courtyard and repeat. Gosei whipped around with ease with a giant smile on his face, Moko was second in tow at a slower speed but balanced out by jumping up ledges and steps quicker than Gosei. Kenshiro chased behind at a fair pace, possibly conserving a lot of his stamina for more running ahead while Laurie was seen at the very back, staggering and getting tired after just two laps.  
"I never run about!" yelled Laurie to Saga who was casually sipping a smoothie through a straw "I fight in limited spaces and don't move about much – dealing with quicker hits!"  
"This isn't about fighting," stated Master Saga lowering his glass and pointing at Kenshiro's steady pace "this is general fitness!" Gosei and Moko brushed past Laurie as they raced on ahead, successfully lapping him a second time. The thought of burgers or pizza or ramen or fish and chips kept them going – they couldn't wait until lunchtime as Master Saga had promised.

When the time came Gosei, Moko and Kenshiro sat around the table inside the dojo, exhausted from their morning of heavy exercise. Laurie tried to peek his head in for a look but Master Saga wouldn't allow it as he shut the door in his face – Laurie still had five more laps to complete.  
"Well, dig in." said Master Saga from the head of the table.  
"There's nothing to dig in to…?" said Kenshiro noticing the absence of knives and forks.  
"There's food in the basket." Said Saga gesturing to the centre of the table. Kenshiro, Gosei and Moko were stunned, they thought the basket was just for decoration – was their lunch really a basket of celery?! "Celery is the healthiest most nutritious vegetable on the planet. Eat up."  
"Isn't celery mainly water?" grumbled Moko questionably.  
"I hate celery!" shouted Gosei with pre-determined conviction "Master Saga, I'll do your sit ups, your laps of the courtyard, I'll do your monkey bars and "heavy lifting of your furniture" which I'm convinced is a chore in disguise, but I will NOT eat celery!" Master Saga looked at both Gosei and Moko who stared back at him angrily, he then turned to face Kenshiro who looked straight-faced and ordinary  
"Oh, what they said, I'm not eating this." He said, before adding suspiciously, "I can't eat this rather, celery uhh, celery will kill me. Yeah, not good for dragons." Master Saga rose slowly and fiercely from the table  
"If none of you eat your vegetables you will only be letting yourselves down, you will get hungry and I will discontinue this camp. You'll never get to learn my hidden technique."  
"What if we fight you for it!" from the table everyone looked up to see Laurie leaning against the side of the dojo doors, sweating but breathing at a calm pace. Master Saga smirked,  
"You finally completed all the laps, hmm?"  
"Yeah…" nodded Laurie with a confident grin, before steadily beginning to shake it instead "No…I've been hiding on the other side of this door the whole time."  
"That explains the easy breathing…" muttered Saga "Very well, I accept your battle invitation, but be aware that fitness and health is in every aspect of physicality – especially head-on combat.  
"I supposed…" said Laurie "But I believe that if you have the right technique – someone who knows how to fight but isn't the ideal body weight or build can still beat someone who's in peak physical condition." Master Saga's smirk re-appeared as he stretched and got visibly more excited.  
"Quite true" he said "Very true even. Technique is always key, but without the proper force behind it from raw fitness, the strength will be hindered." As Saga's stretching induced a threatening knuckle crack he stepped away from his seat and headed towards the door, still talking all the while "Very well, you four shall fight me all at once – yes I will allow it. If you four can beat me I shall teach you my secret technique." Moko and Gosei nodded eagerly while Kenshiro watched Saga approaching the door intently. "I will show you all that general fitness and health will always beat technique and style."


	51. cAmp Pt3

Lunar Antics Chapter 50 – cAmp Pt.3

Moko, Gosei, Kenshiro and Laurie all stood in a line next to one another, armed with bamboo training swords. Master Saga stood opposite them with a long hard piece of green onion…Or was it some of the celery they refused to eat earlier?  
"If you won't eat it, then I will beat you with it." said Master Saga with a grimace. With Master Saga's keen sense of battle it was apparent to him how the four who opposed him would fight;  
Gosei held his sword with both hands – slower, more drawback, but much more lethal.  
Moko held it in one hand and outstretched, capable of more strikes but not as devastating.  
Kenshiro with his close against his body, an impenetrable defence, but no obvious form of output, if the sword wasn't bamboo he would be close to cutting himself.  
Lastly Laurie, who was the easiest to read of all as his sword lay somewhere at his feet  
"Fucking swords?" he said with distaste "Are you fucking serious? I'm not fighting with this shit, get me something original, Christ Manteppp."  
Master Saga rolled his eyes, but then immediately bulged open as he cried **"** **BEGIN!** **"**

Moko was quickest and first to make his move as he tocketted forward with his sword flung behind his back ready to swing; the force was explosive.  
'He's going to attack head on?!' thought Kenshiro shockingly 'He hasn't even assessed Master Saga in combat, this isn't going to go well.' In an instant Moko's knees bent slightly and Master Saga whipped around 180 degrees, completely turning his back on Moko. Laurie picked up his bamboo sword and slung it over his shoulder, clearly trying to look cool but not ready for combat, and before he could scoff at Master Saga's foolish action Moko leapt off the group and soared over-top of Saga. He rotated in midair to stay facing Saga and – CRACK!  
Master Saga's Green Onion (or celery) had battered apart against Moko's feet and sent him flying further across the dojo courtyard instead of crashing just in front of Saga. Moko howled in pain as solid chunks and shards of green onion were lodged into the skin of his foot whilst Master Saga raised a calm hand at the other three,  
"Take five, guys, that was just 'a taste' of green onion. I will get a sword like yours and fight for real now. Oh, Moko, Moko my boy, don't try to get up" he added with false sympathy as he waved over at Moko "Your feet will be very badly 'bruised' after being hit with a vegetable, surely." As Saga walked back into the dojo the three still standing moved their heads slowly and watched Saga casually stroll away. Big Gen had appeared at the door eating a packet of chips as Saga walked up the steps  
"What kind of weight-loss training are you-OH MY..!" he threw the chips aside and rushed down to Moko to provide medical support. Gosei hissed out in a nervous fury  
"F-FUCK! Do you think he's been holding that in!? Has he been wanting to beat us up all along or something! Does he think we're responsible for Bon Seagal becoming a Val Shark or something?!"  
"That's overthinking it a little…" muttered Kenshiro "You guys had nothing to do with that. I mean sure, there was reports of a "cat burglar" present that day…Oh don't tell me…"  
"We didn't do anything! He just showed up and basically gave his identity away!"  
"Moko was using JP Style right." Said Laurie quietly, ignoring the theories entirely "Or at least it almost was – Moko would've kept jumping about, landing quick back attacks which are unblockable. A very common fighting style in the Eastern Provinces."  
"Eastern Provinces?" stated Kenshiro sceptically "You mean Mora, right?"  
"Yeah…I've seen Moko fight with the JP Style a dozen times, yet every time I fight against him I still fall for it and can't combat it [See Chapter 36] but somehow Master Saga saw right through it from the very start…"

As Moko continued to moan and Big Gen surgically removed chunks of onion from his foot Saga came back outside with a new bamboo sword, matching the ones the other three had.  
"Just try and ignore him," he said earnestly "this is what you all wanted." The three gripped their swords again ready to combat against Saga once more.  
"We all move as one this time, got it?" said Kenshiro looking bitterly at Moko who's arm was now reaching out towards the group and was sadly mouthing the words "I'm sorry"  
"I'm always against ganging up on someone…" said Laurie gripping his sword genuinely this time "but if he's insisting we take him on at once we may as well do it. I don't like our chances alone."  
Master Saga saw the three were ready, nodded swiftly at them and once more bulging eyes cried; **"** **BEGIN!** **"** Master Saga twirled his bamboo sword masterfully, Kenshiro could've sworn the bamboo sword took on the form of the eastern style Flying Treasure Sword as he did this.  
"Hey! Whoa whoa whoa! Saga is cheating!" burst Kenshiro as soon as he saw this "His bamboo sword has an inherited skill!" In a flash the sword was lobbed over to Kenshiro which he barely caught  
"See for yourself," said Master Saga innocently "I can fight you bare-handed if you prefer..?" Laurie couldn't stand this level of cockiness, and holding back his annoyance he first looked over at Kenshiro who put down the sword while shrugging ambivalently and Gosei who was raring to go. Once he had their attention they darted toward Saga, Laurie leading the assault in a triangle formation with Gosei and Kenshiro decked at either side.  
Master Saga prepared for the oncoming attack by tightening his fists and stomping the ground, aggressively causing nearby pebbles to bounce. Laurie raised his sword back preparing for an almighty swing, all the while Saga stood his ground. The swing missed Saga by inches, but this was an intentional feint as Laurie dived across the ground and out of the way, all the while Saga STILL held his ground. Laurie was supposedly a distraction to draw attention away from Gosei and Kenshiro who rose into the air with a follow-up attack, they drew their swords back and stabbed their bamboo swords forward with such a thrust that their blunt tips could miraculously pierce through flesh. Master Saga had seen none of this coming and as their swords plunged forward they pierced directly into… - Thin air.

Saga had crouched down with such flexibility for a short old man that his knees were somehow stretched above his head. As Gosei and Kenshiro stumbled forward from their missed attack Saga shot upright like a fired pistol, firmly grasped the length of Gosei and Kenshiro's sword arms and yanked them backwards sending them both flying away from the centre courtyard and into the thick trunk of a peach tree which shook wildly upon impact. Not a single attack had been landed on Saga, he seemed to know the outcome of everything – Moko's JP Style and their distraction method. As Saga stomped the ground and clenched his fists once more, Laurie nervously prepared for his demise – A severely outranked 1v1 was about to commence and Laurie could feel a pain worse than running laps around the courtyard already forming.


	52. cAmp Pt4

Lunar Antics Chapter 51 – cAmp Pt.4

Moko, now unconscious from the horror of the onion shards in his foot being removed by Big Gen.  
Gosei and Kenshiro, unconscious at the foot of a peach tree.  
Only Laurie stood against Master Saga – Sensei of Jacky Noboru the #1 Fighter in the GetAmped Tournaments, as well as former sensei to Bon Seagal, the previous #1 who had only recently revealed himself as a double agent for the Val Sharks [See chapters 24-32]  
"How did you know Moko intended to jump over you from the start?" asked Laurie angrily "How did you know my attack was a feint and that Kenshiro and Gosei would attack in unison? Can you tell the future or something? Does Lunar ever become the #1 Guild? What am I having for dinner in two weeks time?"  
"Hah," exhaled Master Saga with a smirk, he felt like enlightening the youth today. "I simply look and listen." An eyebrow raised on Laurie's face, of course, paying attention is important and obvious. "I FEEL too. I feel what goes on in the zone around me, not just what's on my skin. I even TASTE the anticipation of attacks and SMELL the adrenaline or fear."  
"I don't know what you're saying," said Laurie curiously "but it's probably something perverted…All old men are, right?" Master Saga let out a deep sigh and then said with anguish,  
"You saw my disciples fighting before Bon turned to the Val Sharks, right?"  
'Oh Manteppp…' thought Laurie 'Here it comes, I didn't want to talk about this…'  
Out loud Laurie had said nothing, but Saga continued,  
"He was a good kid that Bon, started with no fighting talents, unlike Jacky who was gifted from birth. I saw power inside him that no one else did, I taught him everything I know and he fights exactly as I do, if not better with no weapon or accessory, just raw muscle." Before Laurie could analyse these words Saga had warped in front of him. Laurie swore he saw a tear drop as Saga drew his fist back, but Laurie's focus was on flicking his bamboo sword up to defend the blow. Saga's bare fist carved through the wood like it was nothing, weakening part of the blow but still impacting on Laurie's left shoulder.

As he skidded backwards from the punch, his wooden sandals pounding downward for some friction on the concrete he then threw his palms down to the concrete which grinded him to a halt but lost some skin in the process. With a sharp backflip up some steps and grabbed Kenshiro and Gosei's discarded swords as he did, Saga warped once more which Laurie scarcely saw coming. A single punch chipped one of the swords as Laurie desperately deflected the attack, then again to the other, until both disintergrated with ease and bamboo chips shattered everywhere. Laurie threw both in-tact hilts In Saga's general direction and they seemingly phased straight through him as he warped once more. It was as if Saga was temporarily a ghost, but in fact he had moved so fast that an after-image of where he stood remained. Laurie spun around, Saga had warped behind him and threw a punch, Laurie ducked and felt wind rush past the hair atop his head, he fired back with an uppercut but Master Saga's heightened senses predicted this. His hand like a claw, Saga clutched onto Laurie's wrist as he soared upwards and locked Laurie in place.  
BEEP BEEP BEEEEEP!  
A loud digital watch rang through the air and instantly and unflinchingly Saga dropped Laurie and put his hand into his pocket. Laurie watched, wide-eyed and shell shocked as Saga drew a small timer and pressed a button – stopping the ongoing beeping noise.  
"You survived 30 seconds of fighting, well done!" said Saga calmly  
"The hell..?!" swore Laurie. What was going on?  
"I said if you could beat me I would cease the fat camp and teach you a technique, but clearly that's not going to happen because couldn't even beat me when you all teamed up on me. I mean reaaallly, even the #1 Fighter Jacky Noboru can rarely beat me, Bon's another story but…anyway, what hope could someone like you only ranked at…?" Saga went silent expecting Laurie to fill in the gap  
"Uh…Somewhere in the top 50?" said Laurie uncertain of his exact rank.  
"See, only in the t-whoa, 50? Seriously?!" quipped Saga "Not bad, but, that's besides the point – I will now teach you the Saga Lineage special technique…The one I regret ever teaching to my first student Bon…" Master Saga sounded sorrowful again – and once more the moment Laurie thought he saw a tear drop Saga warp-punched him square in the chest  
"CHRIST – FUCKING MANTEPPP!" erupted Laurie as he propelled backwards in agony, landing with a thud on the hard concrete, yet still surviving the blow. "I thought you were gonna teach me the technique now!?"  
"I am…" said Saga in an innocent but sarcastic way "You've gotten the jist of it right? You figure out the rest."  
'The jist of it..I haven't figured out anything..' thought Laurie grumpily 'What a crazy teacher, how has he produced not one, but TWO #1 GAT Fighters.'  
"Try to focus on dodging my attacks, don't fight back." Laurie grouchily accepted. He didn't want to give Saga the satisfaction, even if all Saga wanted was in Laurie's best interests.

…

Several hours had passed and it was nearly nightfall. Gosei awoke to a cool night breeze and shimmering peach tree petals in the moonlit rays, beaming down upon them. As he sat up  
he felt a twinge on the back of his head, he must've hit it against this tree a foot away from him and been out cold since it became dark. Sitting at the top of the courtyard footsteps to his left was Moko, Kenshiro and Big Gen – all silently watching a prolonged battle between Saga and Laurie. Moko heard Gosei's rustling and glanced over his shoulder at him, smiling calmly like he usually did, before returning his attention back to the fight,  
"They've been at it since I woke up an hour ago," he said "Possibly longer…" Bizarrely Laurie had his eyes shut and his cheeks puffed out in such a suspicious way that he might've been holding his breath. Master Saga was now deliberately moving much more slowly and Laurie was successfully dodging every swing that came his way.  
"I think I've pieced it together." Said Kenshiro finally, who had been focused intently on the battle this whole time. "Master Saga didn't really think we were fat or mean any of those nasty things he said. He's just been looking for more students to pass on his teachings." Moko nodded to himself with his calm smile that he always wore as they continued to watch the fight in front of them progress.

Bon was gone and Jacky was the #1 Fighter now – Saga had no true students anymore; only one-off sessions with new drillers arriving in Wingdom.  
"GOOD!" Burst Saga energetically and with new-found excitement, "Oversense is the first step of mastering Ampsense! Shutting off other senses like sight or touch to heighten another like listening in your instance. You have done very well!"  
"Thank you!" beamed Laurie with a deep bow and nearly falling over from light-headedness in the process "Holding my breath seems to help a lot, is it really necessary though?"  
"It's a bit unorthodox.." muttered Saga scratching his moustache "But it's the same way Jacky learnt, not Bon however…"  
"Thank you very much, sensei!" continued Laurie with another hasty bow  
"Jeez, who invited Jacky Noboru" mocked Moko folding his arms as he spoke.  
"Aah, you've all woken up already" said Master Saga looking over at the others sitting closer to the main dojo building "Moko! My boy! You're looking healthier and slender all ready – that shirt is fitting you once more!"  
"I don't feel any better..?" said Moko calmly, but touching his belly slightly as if genuinely concerned.  
"Oh, before I forget," said Master Saga turning back to Laurie "There's a man in your guild…Funneh I believe his name was. Jacky met him once and told me about him and wanted me to train him personally at some point. [See chapter 31] Would you be able to find out if he's free tomorrow afternoon for a spar?"  
"Of course!" replied Laurie eagerly with no further comment.

The group all stood in silence with the gentle breeze and peach blossoms delicately falling around them.  
"Well, I don't have anything else to teach you. Thank you very much for coming in today everyone, class dismissed." The enigmatic Master Saga without a fond farewell or anything of the sort trotted off up the steps to the Dojo and with a polite smile back at them shut the door behind him on his way in.  
"But I thought this was a Fat Camp! Why aren't we staying the night or something!" called out Big Gen who had remained a neutral spectator this whole time "Saga come back!"  
"Laurie, I have something to tell you," said Kenshiro approaching Laurie in the centre of the courtyard "It's about Master Saga and this whole camp…"  
"I know." Said Laurie whose eye-contact remained at the double wooden doors Master Saga had entered. "He wouldn't tell us up front, he's too proud of a man. But I hope we helped ease his conscience a bit."  
"Hey, can we go now or something!" called Moko who had already made his way to the back entrance gate to the Dojo's courtyard "I need to go through my wardrobe and double check that all my shirts are as tight as Saga claims." Laurie rolled his eyes and ambled on over towards the gate, Big Gen had also given up calling after Saga and came along begrudgingly.  
"He trained up two #1 Fighters in all of Wingdom from their earliest fighting days, huh?" said Gosei to Kenshiro as he walked past him.  
"It's always a blend of happiness and sadness thinking about the past." Said Kenshiro looking up at a light that had come on in the Dojo's upper window "Maybe he was thinking about retiring…Maybe we made him think otherwise."  
"The GetAmped Tournaments aren't over" grinned Gosei "The fight goes on."


	53. Mora Antics Pt1

Lunar Antics Chapter 52 – Mora Antics

Zexter (now known to all as DrShadow) felt vindicated, he had finally sold the last of the treasure that he, Kazeru, Laurie and Susanoo had calimed from Wingdom's cold underground dungeons. [See chapters 44-47]

Laurie had insisted DrShadow sell them individually to get a better price – selling rubies to people who just wanted rubies for example would fetch a higher price than just selling all of the treasure at once. DrShadow had complained that this would be a tedious process and refused, until Laurie was able to bargain with him by offering up his own claimed aquamarines  
"What is this rubbish for?" asked DrShadow grumpily  
"Whatever these sell for…" said Laurie struggling to say the words "You alone can keep all of the earnings."

And DrShadow had finally done just that, and with his pockets full to the brim with the Aquamarine sales as well as a bulging satchel of 'win' the Wingdom currency the guild was finally ready to purchase their guild-wide extravagant holiday to the one and only tourism capital of Wingdom – The elusive cultural fantasy town of Mora.  
Gillman had always served the guild free of charge, but for a trip to Mora he had requested a hefty payment in order to transport the entire guild to Mora as the flight to the isolated edge of Wingdon's surface took several hours, even with the fastest forms of transport. Red Bull was refusing to lend Lunar a technologically advanced airship and even refused a huge sum to act as "rent money".  
"Our vehicles and technology are exclusively operated by Megaforce Members only!" growled Red Bull sternly. However he quickly became reluctant to help as soon as Laurie mentioned that LJ, a non-Megaforce member was in possession of a 'MegaFone' – an exclusive members-only device to contact fellow members [See chapter 41]

With their gigantic transport ship and skilled pilot the entire guild was off; with the exception of Spartan, Skittly, ShockHog, Caja and some other highly ranked members who had been paid handsomely to stay behind and protect the guildroom.  
"You can count on us." Said Spartan non-chalontly as he was too focused playing a random game on a laptop to notice he had even been paid for his 'troubles'.  
Almost everyone had slept at some point during the flight to Mora, Shot had reportedly slept the whole way through – like a hibernating bear. Even Gillman had got 2-3 hour long powernaps in thanks to a cleverly programmed auto-pilot system. The only person who didn't sleep in the slightest was the recently red-dyed haired, red-EYED Rising; who although had red coloured irises anyway looked distinctly different with bloodshot and veiny details.  
"Christ Manteppp!" swore Brian while freezing mid-motion of unzipping his grey jacket "You didn't…"  
"I did." Croaked Rising, his cracked lips and stiff posture revealing the obvious "I stayed awake the entire flight to find out how long it'd take to get to Mora at the edge of Wingdom."  
"And..?" asked *Ken* pocketing a black sleeping mask he had been wearing.  
"I…I don't know…I lost focus."  
"We left at 6:27PM." Said Original casually looking at a watch on his wrist "and it's 9:54AM now. So that's nearly 15 and a half hours? Long flight for such a fast aircraft, don't you think?" He now looked up from his watch curiously at Rising. "Why did you stay awake for the whole flight to figure out how long it would take, you could've just seen the departure and arrival times…"  
"I didn't think…" but before Rising could answer he had fallen into a deep sleep.

With Rising being taken off the aircraft in a stretcher the rest of the guild began to unbuckle their seatbelts and exit. Laurie walked past Gillman and DrShadow who were excitedly gossiping about what they were spend their extra money on from piloting the plane and selling the aquamarines respectfully. Laurie rolled his eyes and rushed past them so he couldn't hear any more. As he stepped out the door his eyes adjusted to the sparkling morning sun over the hilltops. The village was simply magnificent, untouched by the outside world, immaculate building designs of mere stone and wood, it was tough to believe that was all they were made of. Luscious greenery and flowers in full blossom everywhere, even a gushing stream through the central village. From the looks of a wide building near the top of the town where a waterfall was located nearby, it generated some of the town's basic power through the water currents – which by strict regulations was limited to interior lighting, unless the owner had a special permit.  
"Remember, we're staying at the Mora Moonrise Hotel!" called out Laurie over the heads of excited guildies before they had rushed off to meet the day "So everyone meet there later on tonight!"  
"Did you choose the accommodation yourself, Laurie?" asked Trace in a comical tone  
"Why yes, how did you know?" replied Laurie curiously.  
"No reason." Replied Trace, stifling a chuckle to himself.  
"I'll take Rising there now, he needs some sleep." Said Original earnestly. "Don't think I'm doing it for his sake or anything, I just happen to be heading that way – there's a Spa-house right next door, right!?"  
"Next to the Moonrise Hotel? I think so." Replied Laurie.  
"Good name…" mocked Rising in his sleep."  
"I know, right!?" burst Trace barely containing his laughter  
"I thought so too." Grinned Laurie obliviously and stupidly. Kenshiro who was nearby overhead this and shook his head with a snicker.  
"Well, I'll be checking out Mora's exclusive hand-crafted weaponry." A small contingent of the guild nodded in agreement.  
"I'm gonna get some exquisite Mora Cusine! Fooooooood!" burst Atticus which resulted in a roar of approving and hungry guildies who hadn't eaten much during the flight.  
"I want to see the historic sites and tourist destinations." smiled Laurie. Laurie's decision was the only one met with absolute silence if not for 3 or 5 guildies who nodded politely and a chorus of Mora countryside crickets who hadn't been audible until now.  
"FOOOOD!" repeated Atticus with gusto pumping the crowd up once more. And with that, in a multitude of different directions the group dispersed for their aspiring activities.

Laurie remained alone by the airship, put his hands sadly into his pockets and slumped down. A firm grasp surprised him from each shoulder – Kazeru and Kironaka stood on either side of him!  
"Sounds fun." Smiled Kironaka  
"I'll go where you go, lead the way." Said Kazeru, either loyally or a bit stalker-like. Laurie felt a sharp tension in his chest suddenly let loose – relief.  
"Thanks guys, it'll be really interesting I swear. There will be plenty of time to do everything else while we're here."

Dining, shopping and learning. The guild was ready to take in everything Mora had to offer!


	54. Mora Antics Pt2

Lunar Antics Chapter 53 – Mora Antics Pt2

From being in a gigantic group of hungry guildies Atticus and Gosei were able to break away from the mob looking for a quick hunger-fix and instead adventured deeper into the rustic village for a more exquisite dining experience.  
"I'm so glad you wanted the same thing" grinned Gosei broadly as he trotted alongside Atticus down the cozy street "Brian, Trace and Shot all wanted a big ol' bowl of common ramen. I didn't think pizza-lord Atticus would want something more exotic as well."  
"Oh no, I love Japanese…I mean Moranese food. Hmmm…" Atticus' eyes continued to dart around the food stalls and restaurants "This one time Laurie made me this special pizza with seaweed and fish – like sushi! But he added a few unnecessary ingredients." [See Chapter 43]  
Atticus' face turned a pale green, not too much unlike his hair. "Raw fish is okay most of the time, but he used raw chicken by mistake and…and…"  
"Don't worry." Said Gosei, wide-eyed and uncertain if he wanted to hear more "If you keep thinking about it you'll ruin your appetite."  
"Oh hey! That place looks good." Said Atticus pointing at a wide ominous looking black warehouse.  
"Wh-What..?" muttered Gosei horrified  
"Noooo…That!" stated Atticus. To the left of the warehouse was a quaint looking bar of sorts, cutely decorated with dozens of 'Neko Meowra' – the Lucky Cat mascot of Mora.  
"I LOVE IT." Burst Gosei staring face to face with a giant Meowra statue in the window. With their tummies rumbling they hurried on inside.

Elsewhere in another corner of Mora another group of two had branched off from a large group of guildies who were all searching for hand-crafted weaponry.  
"We're looking in all of the wrong places…" grumbled Kenshiro sternly, if anyone knew weapons and how to use them best in all of Lunar it was him.  
"We are not! This stuff is Top class!" argued SilverBows struggling to carry a solid silver brick-sized Neko Meowra statuette.  
"I thought we were supposed to be shopping for weapons, not cheap knick-knacks."  
"Look guys! Snow globes made to look like flower petals with miniature Mora Shrines inside!" cried out Susanoo ecstatically. Kenshiro said nothing, his attempt at reasoning was getting nowhere, so without a sound he quietly slipped away from the group to seek out the true goal of their shopping. Equally without a word ShaderStar had followed on behind him.  
"What?" grunted Kenshiro without looking at her; causing Shader to jump and nearly lose the white hat atop her head in the process.  
"How did you know I was following you so quickly?" asked Shader re-composing herself. Kenshiro continued to look disgruntled that he had yet to find any Mora-only weaponry.  
"I could tell you," he said "but it'd be much easier to just say 'Cause I'm a dragon' and be done with it. Better senses and all that."  
"Oh…" said Shader, unsure how to react to that comment. "Is it okay if I come along with you then? I'm sorry I should've just asked you. Truth is I want to find great weapons too I don't want these gimmicky souvenir pieces of junk." Kenshiro smiled to himself, but the smile was completely absent from his face. "And I trust your judgement too if that helps. I know Laurie's always pestering you about the latest weapons and accessories."  
"Well all right then." eeplied Kenshiro who kept a neutral outlook, but was not at all upset with extra company. "This stall here looks promising, come on."

"THAT," burst Gosei vivaciously as his paw thrust down hard against the menu.  
"Mora Meat Mega Meal." Read Atticus aloud from what Gosei was pointing at "With five different kinds of meat, prepared and seasoned to your personal preference..." Atticus looked up, dazed and confused "Gosei, this is the most expensive thing on the menu."  
"So?" replied Gosei with a wiggle of his head and pointing at the image of it on the menu and indicating 'two' on his fingers to the chef behind the counter. "We have AMPle money right? We can afford at least one meal to push the boat on."  
"Well I wanted some sort of Asian-fusion pizza or something…" Gosei was ready to explode as he turned in his seat with a face of pent up aggression. "But I'll try something new, sure." Gosei's face quickly deflated as his tail started to twirl excitedly.

"A gold and red Jyuzu-Maru!" said Shader excitedly at Kenshiro's purchase "A Mora-original colour scheme of one of the five legendary swords!" The Stall merchant who sold it was grinning, his bleached yellow teeth parading about happily  
"Yes, a real treasure!" he said cheerfully whilst stroking his greasy black hair "Now I must be packing up my stall for a quick lunch break, sayonara." There was something very suspicious with the speed this man unfolded his stall and packed his weaponry into his backpack.  
"Hold on.." muttered Kenshiro unsheathing the sword' the merchant had warned him he was unable to unsheathe it until he had bought the sword – even more suspicious. The hilt and sheath of the Jyuzu-Maru were magnificent, but the instant Kenshiro unsheathed it the merchant yelped and bolted up the street, Kenshiro's eyes winced for a split second at the sword with his sharp draconian vision then gave chase roaring;  
"You filthy scammer! You damn RUNNER!"  
"Wh-What!? Kenshiro!" called Shader looking off into the distance as Kenshiro's wings arched upright in anger. She had never seen him so mad before. The cast-aside sword at her feet was obviously an expertly crafted bootleg of sorts – if not for the flicker of colour in the silver blade no one could've guessed it, none except Kenshiro it seemed who had been suspicious from the get-go. Just as Kenshiro and the merchant disappeared from view with a sharp right turn and down an alleyway Shader quickly gave chase so as not to lose either of them.


	55. Mora Antics Pt3

Lunar Antics Chapter 54 – Mora Antics Pt3

Two gigantic bowls jam-packed with sizzling meat were placed down in front of Atticus and Gosei.  
"Mora Meat Mega Meal." Said the Big Gen lookalike Chef behind the wooden bar as he took his hands off the bowls and smiled up at them.  
"Onigiri!" said Atticus with enthusiasm with a slight bow of his head. The Chef looked at him with confusion  
"Not Onigiri." He said "Mora Meat Mega Meal?"  
"It's 'arigato' for 'thank you', Atticus!" corrected Gosei in a hissing whisper  
"Affogato!" said Atticus desperately trying to cover up his mistake.  
"Why're you still saying types of food..urgh, nevermind, he means arigato, arigato!" The chef's smile resurfaced as he nodded at both of them.  
"You wish to try the challenge?" he asked them  
"Challenge?" repeated Gosei who had snapped his chopsticks and was ready to tuck in to his meal. "What's this challenge?"  
"If you can eat our Mora Meat Mega Meal in under ten minutes receive your meal free!" read out Atticus animatedly who had seen a bright yellow poster on the other side of the room "We can spend our money on other things! Even more food!"  
"True…" agreed Gosei scratching his furry chin and looking at his meal with consideration "But then we won't enjoy this one at all, we might even get sick." Atticus stared at Gosei wide-eyed and said nothing; in fact it seemed rather that he had no reasoning to change Gosei's mind.  
"So let's not do it, let's just enjoy our-"  
"FREE." Exclaimed Atticus again still staring wide-eyed, and before Gosei could further explain his viewpoint Atticus had snapped off his chopsticks and dived straight into his bowl, shovelling down pork, beef, chicken and a few other unique Moranese types of meat all at once.  
"TEN MINUTE MEAT CHALLENGE BEGIN." Burst the Chef as a laser-light timer begun counting down from ten minutes just above the bar they sat at. Several other customers sitting in small booths around the restaurant looked up at the lights and gasped in awe at Atticus' rapid consumption. Gosei was instantly stressed, was he participating too?! Before he could even come to terms with it he himself was eating as fast as he could and trying to see through the succulent flavour of these well-prepared meats so he could shovel it down faster. They had previously agreed to pay for the meal anyway, but now with the prospect of it being free they had just ten minutes to devour their entire bowls or pay the price!

Kenshiro furiously chased after the Bootleg Merchant down the crowded streets of Mora; how could he let himself get fooled by a cheap knock-off Jyuzu-Maru! This Merchant was apparently accustomed to running from ripped off customers as he was a fair distance away from the agile Kenshiro with no closing of the gap between them in sight. The runner knew these streets like the back of his hand as he led Kenshiro down into a fruit market section and leapt up onto a line of elevated barrels and boxes. Kenshiro saw straight through this crude plan;  
'A nasty move' he thought grimly as he prepared to jump and weave through the oncoming hurdles. The peddler flicked his heel with each step and behind him the barrels and boxes wobbled and rolled out of place. They tumbled down onto the ground below where Kenshiro chased behind and cracked open their contents of fruit and vegetables. Shop owners roared and shouted their displeasure and Kenshiro jumped high to avoid slipping or being hit by the falling obstacles. The act of getting the barrels and boxes to slide had slowed the Bootleg merchant down somewhat; Kenshiro was gaining on him! With a sharp left the Peddler went down another alleyway, and as Kenshiro followed he only just caught sight of him taking another left, from there he only just caught glimpse of him disappearing down a right alleyway; if he couldn't keep up he could lose him any second. One turn went to the next through this maze of the backstreets of Mora until Kenshiro whipped around yet another corner and the Peddler was nowhere in sight, there was no way of knowing whether he had turned left or right.  
"DAMN RUNNER!" roared Kenshiro in a fury; this wasn't a GetAmped Tournament where dirty tactics were unjustified, this was the real world and this professional runner had gotten away.  
"KENSHIRO!" came an agitated cry in the form of Shader's voice. Kenshiro's ears pricked upright under his thick mane of hair; A second chance?! He darted towards the cry down another long alleyway and came face to face with Shader who was looking up the side of a towering black wall  
"I saw him..!" she said exasperatingly, she too had been running as if her life depended on it "He's not just a runner, he can jump too, he…" She stopped short as she continued to pant and felt light-headed, but she pointed up the wall towards something. Kenshiro's eyes winced as he gazed up the side of the wall and was able to make out a large wooden grate in the side which could easily be flapped open to enter inside the upper floor of this building.  
"We're going in." said Kenshiro with a smirk "He thinks he's gotten away but now we have him cornered, hold tight" He grabbed firmly at Shader's wrist  
"Hold tight for wh-" With a vicious arch of his draconian wings and an immediate thrust downward they had soared upright along the face of the wall. Shader screamed and quickly held on tight to Kenshiro's wrist and he pulled her along with him. Kenshiro's Yatagarasu Crow Attire manifested itself as his jump reached it's zenith and with a mighty twist and dive downward the two broke through the wooden grate and into the towering black warehouse.


	56. Mora Antics Pt4

Lunar Antics Chapter 55 – Mora Antics Pt4

Lying flat on his back and groaning Gosei's belly was prudent and plump; He was out for the count on this Mega Meat Challenge and was begrudgingly ready to pay for his meal. Atticus on the other hand wasn't ready to give up just yet! Stabbing down at his bowl with such force several pieces of meat pierced their way up the length of the chopstick and resembled a meat skewer. In two instant bites of either end Atticus' food barely touched the sides as he swallowed it down and proceeded on to the next skewer – he was now using one chopstick in each hand independent from the other and eating at an alarming rate.  
"Attic-Atticus!" stammered Gosei who's eyes had widened at the sight of the red laser-lit timer above the bar  
"Wharg." Gurgled Atticus who's ravaging continued regardless  
"Time!" he exclaimed while pointing upward. The countdown was at just 15 seconds, neither of them had realised how long they had been eating for. Atticus winced in frustration, his bowl was still tightly jammed with meat, the bowl was seemingly bottomless, a secret portal to the meat dimension.  
'There's no way' thought Atticus tearing through another skewer of meat 'There's no way.'  
"SAN…NI…ICHI!" counted down the Chef who had resurfaced to spectate. "TIME!" he cried definitively pulling the bowl back from Atticus and inspecting its contents "U're already tsuorry…No…I am sorry." He said patting Atticus on the shoulder and giving him his bowl back; but Atticus didn't want any more food, he had been defeated by this hidden restaurants headlining dish and it showed as he toppled backward off his seat and onto his back beside Gosei on the floor. The chef leant an arm down over the bar and beckoned at them  
"Time to pay." He said fluently and with distinct ease; It was apparent he had a one-track mind when money was in the equation.  
"Just let us breathe for a minute…" grumbled Atticus, his belly pulsating and struggling to churn the last of his meal.  
"Yeah, yeah…Hang on." Said Gosei managing to rotate on the floor slightly and fiddle about in his jean pocket for a moment. The rummaging continued for a prolonged period as the Chef stared daggers at them – the folly of taking on the challenge had passed, and the stark realism of paying for their elaborate meal was upon them.  
"A-A-Atticus" Stammered Gosei once more  
"I get it, I'll pay for it all and you'll pay for the next one. Deal" Atticus rummaged in his own pockets as he lay down against the hard wooden floor and suddenly froze as he felt nothing in particular. His head titled very slowly towards Gosei as he reached an ultimatum in his head; and Gosei was staring right back at him in an equally horrified manner.  
"Where's my money..?!" they both gasped in absolute fear and dismay.

Splintered fragments of wood chipped down onto the metallic balcony of the Black Warehouse's upper level as Kenshiro dived in through the wooden grate. Shader flailed about behind as Kenshiro pulled her in by the scruff of her shirt collar. Landing safely on the metal balcony Kenshiro quickly leant down behind the railing for cover and peeked his head around the interior of the warehouse. The upper level with the metal balcony had nothing of significance, it seemed to just provide quicker access around the warehouse and better visability of what was below them. The flickering dim lights didn't shine too much light throughout the interior of the warehouse, but it was just enough to make out what they were surrounded by; rows and rows of containers, shelves and other miscellaneous goods filled with weapons, random materials and objects.  
"Those bastards..!" hissed Shader, putting aside her surprise at being pulled in to be disgusted at what she saw below her. "There must be thousands of pointless knick-knacks and knock-off weapons below us!" Kenshiro had already figured this out and was too focused on catching the peddler from before to respond as he looked up and down the various aisles of the warehouse.  
"UP THERE!" Screamed an energetic voice from down below "I SAW MOVEMENT!"  
"Ah crap," muttered Kenshiro glancing over his shoulder down below "What are they, guards or something? Why are they even looking up here anyway…It can't be helped, let's get out of here and find the Bootleg Merchant."  
"I've got it Kenshiro" said Shader standing up and stomping her foot on the railing which bent under the sudden aggressive force "This time YOU follow MY lead." She added before jumping off the railing and spawning a gigantic 'Black Collapse Halberd' in her hands capable of defying gravity and creating localized black-hole crushing attacks. Kenshiro was far too taken aback to reply or react, he simply look on to see how this would play out – Was this guardsman even armed?  
Shader rapidly descended on where the voice had come from which was revealed to be two darkly dressed men and a large beast that they had tamed to do their bidding. Shader went straight for the beast and thrust down her halberd that ripped through the air as if it was nothing with its gravity-defying capabilities, she clonked the feral creature right on the head and a small implosion of a black hole appeared upon impact creating a devastating strike of unknown proportions. The two extra men, one large and one small, spun around and leapt backwards as Shader quickly came up with a wide swing then a vertical slash at a specific target; If they wanted to try and gang up against her then bring it on.  
"Stop stop stop!" cried out the hulking man on the left with a less enthused voice than the one he had earlier.  
"Why should I stop, you guys never once thought to stop selling on these fake knockoffs" she replied sternly while gesturing over at a barrel full of combat operations pistols which all looked as if they were the real deal but were all missing a very specific piece the untrained eye would never detect.  
"Look! Loooook!" squealed the man in front of her as he trembled ever so slightly – the Black Collapse Halberd had only missed him by a few inches. He held out in front of him a very real and powerful looking Chain Blade – A relatively high class weapon capable of branching into fragments then reforming itself again at the flick of the wrist.  
"This is real?" asked Shader curiously. The man took his hood off and revealed himself as Trace, a fellow guild member who had come along with the guild on this trip to Mora.  
"It's us!" exclaimed the enthused voice from the left who turned out to be SilverBows with his trusty grappler arms tightly stuffed underneath his robes and giving him an abnormally large physique.  
"YOU GUYS?! Then…What on earth is…" Shader looked back at the monstrous animal she had struck down moments ago "DrShadow!?" On his arms and legs he wore wolf-like claws with oversized fur attachments and in a stupor DrShadow's head tilted about steadily which atop it sat a giant wolf's head with fangs and dreary red eyeballs. Shader dashed over to support his head and make sure he was okay "I'm so sorry Shadow! I thought you were with this Bootleg merchant guy we met…And you two! Why were you hiding your identities!"  
"Well we were trryyyingg to be sneaky!" grumbled Trace putting his hands on his hips in dissatisfaction.  
"AAAH!" Screamed DrShadow in horror as Kenshiro leapt down in front of him and Shader "THE SPIRIT OF JEFFERY HAS COME BACK TO HAUNT ME.!"  
"wat I miss." Said Kenshiro in earnest.  
"Jeffery is what DrShadow named his wolf head." answered SilverBows rolling his eyes "He spent all of his money he got from Laurie's Aquamarine sales on it. Did you know that anyone no matter who they are can sell 'core-crafted accessories' here in Jap- …Uhhh… in Mora?"  
"Say hello to Jeffery." said DrShadow happily with a broad grin on his face. Kenshiro looked deep into the dead lifeless eyes of the taxidermy wolf head  
"ok." He said as interested as he could muster which amounted to absolutely zero. "We need to keep looking, the Bootleg Merchant might've heard us and left the building."  
"Hey! That's who we're looking for to" said Trace while clapping excitedly "There's a bounty on his head, we saw a sign up in town – we can split the earnings with you guys."  
"What happened to all your money? Didn't everyone have a fair bit to begin with?" asked Shader  
"Silver Meowra Souvenirs…" said SilverBows.  
"Jeffery…" said DrShadow.  
"…You can never have too much money." said the wise Trace enigmatically.  
'No harm done' thought Kenshiro as he shook his head and sighed "Come on everyone." He said out loud, and helping Shader get DrShadow back onto his feet they set off on their way to investigate this mysterious warehouse.


	57. Mora Antics Pt5

Lunar Antics Chapter 56 – Mora Antics Pt5

"IF YOU CANNOT PAY - YOU WORK FOR ME." Spat the head Chef right in Atticus and Gosei's faces. Their wallets had mysteriously vanished, or they had never brought them along to begin with and now they had to pay for the entirety of their 'Mega Mora Meat Meal'  
"We will pay!" pleaded Gosei "Just let us go and find a Guild Member, I'm sure they can spot for us if you-"  
"No no no no! You don't leave! YOU DON'T LEAVE!" The Head Chef was now furious, his face bluging like a gigantic plum.  
"It's okay, Gosei" said Atticus calmly, leant over slightly from the amount of food he just attempted to digest. "We'll do the honest work to pay for our meal. Maybe it's just doing dishes or something but we'll get to tell everyone we worked in a Moranese Restaurant right?" Gosei pondered the idea; no matter how boring it certainly would be a story to tell in a few years time.  
"You work until midnight. Mora Meat Meal expensive." Ordered the Head Chef with a flick of his hand.  
"NO, PLEASE!" erupted Gosei falling to the floor and completely losing his composure. "SOMEONE HELP US, ANYONE PLEASE – WILL YOU PAY FOR OUR MEAL?" Gosei was now tugging at the shirt of a random customer who was on a lunch date with a woman. He brushed Gosei off of his shirt in shock and was speechless. "ANYONE, I CAN'T DO DISHES FOR 12 HOURS. I HAVE SO MUCH MORE DO TO."  
"Hang around in the spa all day..? I thought that's where we were heading after this." Stated Atticus casually.  
"I'll pay." Came an abrupt pompous declaration from the far side of the restaurant. From directly behind Atticus and Gosei a man had entered the Restaurant from just passing by and hearing the outcries. As he approached the counter Atticus looked the man up and down. Clean well-groomed clothing, a black vest, GOLD trimming? And topped off with a ridiculous slither of facial hair across his upper lip – This man had surely never made contact with anyone from Lunar before.  
"would you like me to pay in Wingdom 'Win' or Moranese 'Lucky Coins' ?" asked the man as he stood before the Head Chef and pulled out a leather black wallet.  
"OOH! Lucky coins please!" cried the Head Chef as his eyes widened. The Man laid ten blue-silver tinged coins on the counter and started heading out the door  
"Come along, boys" he drooled with a snap of his fingers. Atticus and Gosei looked at one another confusingly and feeling like purchased commodities rather than living beings they followed the unknown man out the door.

Kenshiro, Shader, SilverBows, Trace and DrShadow stumbled through the darkened warehouse and rows upon rows of bootleg weapons and accessories, hoping to Manteppp that the culprit of peddling these knock-offs was still somewhere inside.  
"Why is there a bounty on this guy's head anyway?" asked Shader to the three new faces they'd just met up with.  
"Well it said on the bulletin that bootlegged goods have been sold in Mora for quite some time, and it all stems from this guy." Said Trace eying down the wide rows and looking for movement "Selling knock-offs all started with this guy, and if they can catch him then the smaller sellers will stop too."  
"If who catches him?" asked Kenshiro honestly who had been keeping silent for awhile "The Megaforce's protective range doesn't reach Mora. There's essentially no police here."  
"There doesn't need to be really, there's no crime in such a remote and safe location." Replied Trace with a positive smile "Except when something bad does come up the local council has enough saved-up money from all their tourism and things to establish a bounty. Instead of Megaforce members constantly earning a salary and doing their jobs. Bounty Hunters surface and get to work."  
"The Omusa Unit use to be Bounty Hunters, right?" asked SilverBows who's interest was suddenly piqued.  
"Until the Val Sharks purchased them for full time employment…" said Kenshiro bitterly.  
"SHH!" hissed DrShadow as he pushed himself in front of the other four "THERE." The group looked forward to where DrShadow had suddenly pointed. At the far end of the warehouse a light had turned on in a separate room – a glass framed office which the five could clearly see into the very obvious figure of the bootleg peddler was wandering around with his hand to his ear talking into a cellular device.  
"At this distance he can't see us, we're practically in the dark, split up and sneak to either side of the office where he can't see us up close.  
"RIGHT." Declared Trace as a response to an order, but also as his own order as he marched off down one of the aisles on the right to sneak up from the right-hand blind spot from the office. The other four looked at each other hesitantly.  
"Uhhh, I'll go with him." Said Kenshiro as he hastily followed on behind.

When the two split groups had assembled at each blind-spot of the office they peered in carefully to the Weapon Peddler on the phone. Whatever outfit and disguise he had been previously wearing it had since been removed – this shifty old man wasn't an old man at all and on closer inspection-  
"That's Alba Tollson!" gasped SilverBows vivaciously before spluttering violently as DrShadow elbowed him in the chest to hush up.  
"Quite a low ranked Val Shark, but boy can he run. This explains so much..!" said Shader inspecting the man herself.  
"What are the Val Sharks doing here in Mora? The Megaforce, the central capital, GetAmped Tournaments and everything important are in Wingdom. What business does a Val Shark have here?"  
"He chased me down the street AND KEPT UP WITH ME, how many times do I have to say it until you realise that this isn't some run-of-the-mill bounty hunter!" Cried Alba into the phone whilst pacing up and down the office.  
"C-Could he be on the phone to D-D-Dangerous Bob!?" whispered SilverBows in a shocked stammer.  
"On the phone to the leader of the Val Sharks?" said DrShadow in a humorous tone "Yeah sure, one of the lowest ranked Val Sharks is talking directly to the boss himself."  
"Look around, Shadow." Muttered Shader in a reasoning tone "We're in a warehouse full to the brim with bootlegged weaponry, this is no small operation. I'm willing to bet they just didn't expect anyone to come out looking for them and understaffed." DrShadow raised a suspicious eyebrow and looked over to the far side of the office where Kenshiro and Trace were hiding. It looked as if Kenshiro had had a similar thought process of the operation being understaffed and was looking around the rest of the warehouse for enemy company.  
"I can only outrun someone for so long – You need to find it now otherwise not only that, but our weapons operation here will be over too!"  
'What else are they talking about here…' thought DrShadow to himself. Kenshiro's body jerked backwards and startled Trace  
"Nine O'Clock!" burst Kenshiro as the feathers of his Yatagarasu stood on end and he drew sharp blades. Trace, unfamiliar with the military lingo looked around in a daze as Kenshiro disappeared from view.  
"But it's nearly afternoo-" the left side of Trace's face was firmly smooched up into a rough palm and throttled deep into the concrete wall beside the glass-covered office.  
"DO YOU HEAR..FEEL THE RINGING IN YOUR HEAD?" breathed a deep horrific voice right into Trace's exposed ear trickling with blood. A gigantic crunch of concrete came from the far left of the office too and all three of the other Lunar Members toppled over.  
"I'M SURE THEY DO, BROTHER." Bellowed an identical deep voice as a figure emerged from the hole in the ground that had been created in a mere second.  
"Wh-Where did they come from?" gasped Shader who struggled to compose herself and draw her black collapse halberd once more. Alba Tollson had dropped the phone and was back to his running habits at the sign of trouble, in a flash Kenshiro had given chase once more;  
"Hold them off!" he cried as he chased Alba down a corridor connected to the Office. The man on the right had let go of Trace's head, which remained lodged in the wall and started heading over to the other three. Nothing could tell the two apart, they were identical in every way – dark skin, imposing yellow eyes and a mess of bare chest, green cloth and metallic spikes and straps – Two of the higher ranked Val Sharks had revealed themselves.  
"THE RINGING IN YOUR HEAD WON'T GO AWAY." growled the one approaching them  
"WE ARE THE RINGING BROTHERS." Said the one standing before them "RINGER." He declared  
"AND RINGY." cried the other as he slammed his chest with deliberate force. Shader held her Black Collapse Axe up and DrShadow's Wolf Set bared it's fangs and claws. SilverBows eyed up the two and the little smirk on his face grew slightly. Ringy and Ringer spat and grunted slightly as Bows drew his weapon also – A Wrestler's special: The Grappler Arms. His pair in a vibrant green was identical to the Ringing Brothers own sets.  
"So you guys know how to wrestle too?" he said with genuine interest "Your both pretty big but you don't know anything, let me show you how to use those properly."  
DrShadow and Shader gawped at each other. Seeing SilverBows squared up against two gigantic twins, all with matching Grappler Arms was quite a sight to see.


End file.
